Darsana Sajeev with her painting
THRISSUR: Braving the health issues thrown up by an immunity disorder, this young mother from Irinjalakuda has now become a much sought-after artist and earns an average income of Rs 50,000 every month, just by following her childhood passion.
Darsana Sajeev, popular through the Instagram page ‘Kukoo’s Nest, began doing paintings for home decor about two years ago when she was pregnant. As the pandemic crisis deepened, she had to leave her job in Dubai. Postpartum, she was diagnosed with ‘Grave’s disease as a result of thyroid overproduction and went through serious health problems that even affected her confidence. But, rising above all challenges, Darsana determined to bounce back for her little baby that changed her life forever.
“I loved colours and painting from childhood itself. During my higher education, I had attended a 10-day workshop on mural painting. This helped me follow my passion when I needed it the most,” she said. The Butter Krishna, a mural on a wooden plate that can be used as a wall hanging, is a fast-moving craftwork of the young artist. Though Darsana used to do fabric paintings as well, at present she is working on other mediums like wood plate, wooden stool, and home decor products.
“When I began this as a time-pass, I used to get time for being creative and come up with new ideas. But now I am doing more commissioned works which give me little time to explore more. But I am always striving to bring out my best in all products,” she added.
Apart from painting, Darsana also teaches the art online which fetches a good income for her. “I never went after money when I started pursuing my passion. As an artist I had struggled in the initial days. Some art works which were sold in the initial days would have fetched more money now. But, I only thought about my peace of mind instead of revenue generation,” she said. But as she gets more and more inquiries, Darsana feels happy and proud and does not want to go back to her previous job in metro city.
“When I am immersed in painting and crafts work, I am happy and I enjoy it. I am also able to dedicate my time for my two-year-old son. I don’t want to go back to the stressful days of a corporate job,” she added. Darsana plans to set up an art studio soon as a permanent place for her works. On December 3 and 4, she will be organising an exhibition at Kaloor Stadium, Kochi.
