[100 Emerging Women Leaders] Meet Sangeeta Alwar, an English prof and illustrator who reflects on society through art
In a conversation with HerStory, Sangeeta Alwar, an English professor and illustrator, talks about her journey of balancing art and teaching.
An English professor by day and an illustrator by night, Sangeeta Alwar dons many hats. But she doesn’t consider them as separate professions and picks the best of both worlds to express views on identity, sexuality, gender, and politics.
Though she is a social media recluse, she realises the importance of digital art and promoting art through online platforms as an illustrator-educator.
“What helps is recognising what is required out of every role that you play on any given day,” says Sangeeta in a conversation with HerStory, adding, “While it took time, and once I learnt to manage my time, it became easier.”
Sangeeta’s passion for art bloomed early on when she found herself doodling in an English class in the third standard.
“But I started getting serious about illustration at 22 when I was pursuing Master in English Literature. And I had made enough money to invest in an iPad (for illustration),” she narrates.
Having the eye of an artist, Sangeeta felt an intense desire to express her feelings on the status quo. “It could be my frustration with some news, or my desire to wear sarees like how my mother would. As a teacher, I found that a lot of these experiences were very relatable to my students,” says Sangeeta.
The spark came in the form of fatphobia when Sangeeta had to face body shaming. “When I started talking about it and how it is actually difficult for me to even look at a mirror and make sense of my bisexuality, things became more about art just being a hobby,” she explains.
Her first project was with a Mumbai-based NGO. Sangeeta illustrated their work with rural girls in sports to show how the NGO worked to convince their parents to let the young girls pursue sports. “This kind of illustration with social impact where you tell stories keeps me going,” she quips.
While getting illustration projects isn’t an easy task, Sangeeta says social media helps. However, online platforms add a lot of pressure, especially on young artists, to define their artform with a particular art style in the presence of established names.
“But this is something I don’t agree with. I have been making art for the past 5-6 years and don’t have a specific art style; I have evolved over time. There is a lot of pressure, but if you can acknowledge that pressure and give yourself some time and space to get to where you want to be, then social media helps you with the possibilities,” Sangeeta says, adding, “As an artist, it also gives you a platform to show your progress.”
Social media can be inspiring, but it can also be polarising and exhausting. In 2019 and 2020, Sangeeta was also subjected to several death and rape threats.
“You are exposed to abuse at different levels, and hearing things where people say you better be careful the next time you step out of the house can be scary. But what helped me was that I had built a community within the art group and the artists I knew. They helped me make sense of it,” adds Sangeeta. She says it is important to have people or places that are safe.
Within the scope of her influence, Sangeeta has tried to maintain and create such safe spaces and create a support system for budding artists subjected to hate. “My problems so far have been solved just with personal interactions.” However, she also notes that such abuse over time can lead to desensitization, which is what the story is about many women in India.
Advising women leaders, Sangeeta says it’s important to be unapologetic about who you are, and for occupying space or voicing your opinion.
Also, learn to say yes to things that might interest you and do as much as you can. “Unless something is so taxing that you can’t function or if you find something that you may not have the exact skills,” she adds.
"Make friends with your imposter syndrome in your head and negotiate with it. You will either accomplish what you have to or find other goals to pursue, but you can’t live your life regretting that you didn’t do something,” says Sangeeta.
Edited by Kanishk Singh