Art can hit you anywhere and at any point in your life. A testament to this is city based artist Diana Roberts, who realised her love for art only after a tragic bike accident. After being diagnosed with multiple fractures and being given a prescription of eight months bed rest, she decided to pursue her true calling in life — creation through art with her brand ‘Just About Art’. “It’s at moments like that when you realise these things,” says the alumni of Mount Carmel College, who holds a degree in Journalism.
If Just About Art is her child, she isn’t a single parent. Her husband and business partner, Nitish Matthew, played a big part in launching the brand - “He was very keen that I pursue my dream.” Diana’s aim is simple - “I don’t want people to buy products because they are contemporary or quirky. I want them to buy products because they are a reflection of them.” Creation through art is the underlying principle of the company; one that she will never let go of. This is her main reason for wanting to stick to the home decor niche that the company has found itself in. There, it is possible to customise the products and create reflections of the customers.
But if art is an expression of self, something Roberts doesn’t deny, where does she find the balance between her and her customers’ identities? The answer to this lies in the body of work that exists purely for her expression. It includes photographs (she is also an ardent photographer), woodwork and various other products that reflect her passions and personality. “The customers see the products and ask me if I’m a traveller or if I like photography,” to which the answers are yes; a Leh-Ladakh trip is in the books soon.
The fabrication of the products itself is a sole effort. The wood that they use for woodwork, sourced from shipment crates and furniture shops, is refurbished by hand, by them and then transformed into pieces of art — a process that takes a week per piece.
Diana’s further plans include a functional studio that facilitates a space for artists to showcase their work and engage with each other’s work; to build an artistic community of sorts. You can find their work, this month, at Chitra Kala Parishad, Carnivale De Hoot and JW Marriott’s Midnight Flea Market.
