“IDON’T have to be a millionaire to help animals or people. A thought is what matters.” This simple yet powerfulrealisationset29-yearold Deeksha Chauhan on a path where art became a voice for the unheard.Asaself-taughtwildlife artist, she breathes life into animalsthroughrealismandhyperrealism, compelling people to see, feel, and empathise. Through her work, she hopes to challenge the way humans interact with wildlife, making conservationaconversationthat can no longer be ignored. Deeksha’sjourneywithartbegan early, nurtured by her mother, who introduced her to various creative forms. “My mother taught me musical instruments like the tabla and harmonium when I was a kid,” she recalls. While she enjoyed dance and music, painting always drew her inthemost.Eveninschool,where lectures demanded focus, her mind often wandered to sketches that often took shape on the last pages of her notebooks.

 

“Throughoutmyschoolandcollege life, I often used to doodle and scribble something on the back of my notebook, especially in math classes,” Deeksha smiles. Amidst career jumps, art remained constant Though art was her true calling, her parents had a different vision for her future - an engineering degree atVidya College, Meerut andDeeksha pursued it. However, art never left her side. “I used to engage in art to pass time,” she adds. She completed her degree in 2016 and entered the corporate world. After trying various roles in HR, sales, and business analysis, none of them held her interest for long.“Whatever job I took up, I couldn’t stay there for more than three weeks.” The rigid structures of corporate life crushed her creativity, making it clear that she was searching for something deeper. Deeksha’s curiosity led her towards research, preparing for exams in chemistry and neuroscience. She even pursued a Python course, hoping to find fulfilment in machine learning. But time and again, she felt like she was going through the motionsratherthantrulyengaging with what fascinated her. Through the different phases of life, art was her true companion. “I wanted to learn the process, but it was more examoriented.” The same frustration came up when she enrolled in anartcertificationcoursein2019.

 

“There too, it was all about passingtheexams ratherthanunderstanding the concepts for innovative applications.” The pressureofconformingtotraditional career expectations weighed on her, but no matter where she turned, art remained a steady presence - something she returnedtoinstinctively,theone activity that never felt forced. Following the passion that never left her Tired of not finding what she wanted, Deeksha took matters into her own hands. “In August 2019, I decided to become the teacher I was searching for and started to learn art through selfstudy,” Deeksha recalls. She followed international artists and paid close attention to paintings on the Internet. “Over time, I taughtmyselfrealismandhyperrealism through experimentation,” she shares proudly. It was Nick Sider, a New Yorkbased artist, who inspired Deeksha to explore realistic (depicting subjects as they appearinreallife)andhyper-realistic (achieving an almost photographic quality with extreme detail and precision) art. “I was intrigued and fascinatedbythe impact those paintings had on me. It was similar to the feeling that wildlife and animals gave,” she adds. ‘Losing my dog made me a wildlife artist’ Deeksha’s choice to become a wildlife artist stemmed from a personal loss. “I lost my pet dog - he breathed his last in my arms.

 

I was helpless that I could not do anything,” she shares.Watching videosofanimalabusemadeher furious and equally helpless. “The questions of ‘What am I doing to stop this?’ and‘Why do they have to go through such painful and gruesome situations?’ haunted me,” Deeksha shares. She realised that instead of complaining about what others weren’t doing, she needed to work towards animal welfare through her art. “I decided to work hard, improve my skills, andbecome awildlife artist.The moneyIearnedbysellingmyartworkhelpedmefundanimalwelfare organisations.” Following this, she also created her own Instagram account to showcase her artwork. Art and animal welfare Wildlifeartisconsideredanew concept in India, and Deeksha considers herself fortunate to havebeengettingordersthrough social media over the past four years.Startingwithherfirstpainting of a black and white tiger, Deeksha has two favourites to date. “One is a five-by-three feet hyper-realisticpaintingofatiger. The painting took around three months; I am still looking for the right buyer who would give the respect the painting deserves,” she shares.

 

Deeksha shares that people often say her paintings look like photographs. The otherisa3DpaintingofaRhinoceros (30×40 inches), and when she posted it on Facebook, many peoplecommentedthatitlooked likeaphotograph.“Mypaintings may sometimes look like they were AI-generated, but they are purely hand-painted,” Deeksha laughs. Nishith Kumar, a pulmonologistfromRanchiandone ofDeeksha’sclients, shares,“She was able to replicate the exact reference images I had sent, and she constantly updated me on her progress. Most of the individuals who walk into my chamber look at the painting and ask, ‘Who clicked this picture?’ - it looks incredibly realistic.” While Deeksha works every daytofine-tuneherartisticskills, hermainfocusliesingivingback to animals through art. “Right now,withthemoneyearnedfrom art, I donate to people who are involved in animal conservation on a small scale to support their initiatives,” she shares. Turning paint into purpose (and a paycheck) Being a full-time artist comes withuncertainties,andDeeksha has made lifestyle changes to sustain herself without dependingonanyone.“WhateverIearn, very little goes into my personal expenses, which are primarily art supplies,” she shares.

 

The rest is spent on supporting animalsandbirdswhenevershegets the chance. “I like to travel solo, and even while doing so, I opt to staywiththelocalsinsteadofluxury stays. In return, I do something for them by teaching their children about insects, wildlife, andtheimportanceofnotharming any species,” she explains. Deeksha refrains from staying in one place, believing that travelling enhances her creativity, thereby improving her art. “My teacher has also been nature, and I have trained myself to spot the tiniest of details to add realisticelements.ButwhereverIgo, I carry my art supplies and continue creating,” she adds. Providing the wildlife experience to everyone ForDeeksha, every painting is a labour of love, shaped with patience and precision.

 

“The paintings that I make for myself takeonetofourmonthsdepending on the intricacies involved. For commissioned orders, I try toprovide them according to the discussed timeline,” Deeksha says, adding that she has painted on diverse surfaces like traditional canvases, tote bags, and even watches. Over the past four years,Deekshahassold50paintings,reaching buyers across the globe,includingtheUS,Canada, and Europe. “Most of my orders are from abroad as India is still agrowingmarketforwildlifeart,” she says. She aims to fine-tune her skills every day to serve the bigger purpose: animal welfare. “On average, I make around two to three paintings per month,” she shares. Her commissioned works have included mythologicalcharacters,buther passion lies in hyper-realistic depictions of wildlife. “I want peopletogetasurrealexperience oftheseanimalsthroughmyart,” she says. “Not everyone has the opportunity to go to the jungle or a safari. So when people look at my paintings, I want them to feel that experience in their own space.” ■