Pooja Nair
Heritage: Indian
Pooja Nair has two passions in life. The first is creating art, and the second is teaching. She discovered her love for art at an early age after watching her mother paint. She drew her first realistic portrait at the age of 11 on a dare from her uncle. After that, Pooja’s family and friends bombarded her with requests for drawing portraits. In her early days, she would sketch profile portraits of anyone who would sit for her. She took the next step by getting a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts, honing her craft while expanding her horizons.
Pooja eventually moved to the U.S., and, while looking for a job, spent her time creating art (including commissioned work), learning from various artists, and freelancing as a web and graphic designer. She took a break from her career to raise two children. Now that her children are more independent, she decided to return to her professional career and achieve her lifetime dream of becoming an artist and a teacher. Pooja primarily work in pastels, ceramics, mixed media, and photography.
All images © Pooja Nair
“My Indian roots mostly inspire my art. I love the colorful clothes, dances, and exotic mustaches of the people from my birthplace.”