Meet Indian illustrator and visualizer, Tanya Eden.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hey, I’m Tanya Daniel Eden, I’m a freelance Illustrator/visualizer from Mumbai India. I Graduated from Sophia polytechnic institute of applied art, from Mumbai in 2014.
I live to travel the world, experience art and meet new artists around the globe. I also love adventure sports, diverse cuisines, and pop culture.
My work is described as bold, satirical and personified, it is mostly focused on digital art but sometimes I get messy with traditional tools and mediums to create something new and exciting,
I’m influenced by surrealist, minimalist and pop art. I work out of a tiny home studio in Mumbai, I love being in my own space creating and ideating at odd hours, it gives me a lot of freedom and that’s why I love freelancing and not working out of an office. Here I have worked with some pretty cool clients, Some of which are
Nike, Kulture shop, Snapchat, Absolut and Audible.
I’m a visual storyteller and believe in creating relatable art, I feel that I have a voice and creating an illustration based on my liberated views, thoughts and experience is the best way to convey my message to the world. I feel a creative person has a different vision like a third eye, and they tend to see and absorb things differently than others would. I think in my country there are not enough women’s voices in the arts, and we need stronger representation globally.
Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.
I was born and brought up here. It’s only when I traveled and lived in other cities, I saw the ginormous difference.
Mumbai is lively and chaotic and super crowded, the city has this uncanny crazy hankering to become what you desire (career-wise), unlike other cities that I experienced. It really is true the city never sleeps, I would call it the city of great stories. The city has a lot of potentials and constantly evolving and getting work is fulfilling.
It really is true the city never sleeps, I would call it the city of great stories.
What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?
The best thing is we are so diverse with culture and religions yet abide together and the worst thing is we still have immense cultural taboos, local transport is madness and its not the cleanest city I have lived in.
Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.
Aspiring.Challenging.Rewarding
How did you start your career in art?
Art was a major part of my childhood but never thought of it as a career, In India, for the longest time, people only encouraged it as a hobby because they thought there is not much money in art.
But my parents were supportive and I took a leap from commerce to Applied Art. Being in art school was everything to me, I consistently excelled. After art school, I joined the renowned
locopopodesign studio where I absorbed and learned so much as a newbie. What was taught in art school was so different out in the real world, it was tough. Soon after I had an ankle fracture and in bed for 4 months, meanwhile recovering I was approached by clients and started freelancing from home and I believe that accident wasn’t an accident, after all, it really was the beginning.
I had an ankle fracture and in bed for 4 months, meanwhile recovering I was approached by clients and started freelancing from home and I believe that accident wasn’t an accident, after all, it really was the beginning.
Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?
Honestly, no one was super supportive or excited about the idea other than my parents, they didn’t think of art as a good choice for a career neither did they understand what it is we designers exactly do.
What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?
Definitely more murals, building a line of products (with my art), collaborations globally and opening an animal shelter org.
Definitely more murals, building a line of products (with my art), collaborations globally and opening an animal shelter org.
If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be?
Producer
Ryan Murphy is best known for creating/co-creating/producing a number of successful television series. I’m in awe for his work, it is bold and eye-opening, American horror story, American Crime Story, and Pose to name a few. I think it would be a dream come true to collaborate with him at any capacity.
How would you describe the women around you?
I find women in India 2019 breaking barriers, they are definitely stronger and independent and simply unstoppable. Well, there are diverse women around, some of whom are liberal like me, I do try to surround myself with good like-minded company and banter. Growing up in India I felt a lot of injustice happening to women, but with the help of empowered women, we could uplift the community, educate women about their rights and fight the injustice.
Growing up in India I felt a lot of injustice happening to women, but with the help of empowered women, we could uplift the community, educate women about their rights and fight the injustice.
Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?
No, I didn’t, we didn’t have the internet growing up especially in school, I would admire art in magazines, the children’s bible, and children’s ladybird storybooks.
Are there any challenging aspects of being a female in your industry?
Every day is challenging for women in our field, it’s like we have to work harder to prove ourselves and be acknowledged. Advertising is clearly male-dominated, I have had some personal horrible experiences with remarks and judgments being passed at women at work. Also, superiors not allowing women to speak in meetings and underestimating their work and presence. I have had some bad clients, really unprofessional, insulting, rude and demanding. I have also had several good professional clients who have great respect for women and their work, I’ve seen a change and hope it progresses.
There are so many young women that look up to me for what I have achieved and they can relate to my struggles and experiences in life through my ART, my art speaks to them and it gives me immense joy.
Do you have any advice to young women who are aspiring to work in your field?
Yes, believe in your dreams and work towards it, and there is nothing that can stop you, I have an aspiring vision and work towards making it happen, and it does really happen. After a while, I developed a thick skin to the hateful comments and people who let me down, and just focused on what I really love and that has me going.
There are so many young women that look up to me for what I have achieved and they can relate to my struggles and experiences in life through my ART, my art speaks to them and it gives me immense joy.
Photos courtesy of Tanya Eden.
