[100 Emerging Women Leaders] How this art curator and interior designer beat all odds to work for ex-Presidents
Dr Masooma Rizvi is an art curator and the Managing Director and Founder of Belita Design Solutions Private Limited, an interior design firm.
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Right from childhood, when she would refurbish dollhouses, Dr Masooma Rizvi had always been passionate about creativity. She wanted to grow up to choose a profession where she could beautify places.
“I had a passion for transforming and redoing things. Even as a child, I would spend hours decorating my wooden dollhouses with cloth. Whenever someone asked what I was up to, I would simply say, 'I’m making the place beautiful,’” Dr Rizvi shares with HerStory.
However, her family wanted her to become a doctor or an engineer. Hailing from Telangana, she went on to complete a bachelor’s degree in science but eventually circled back to her true love —designing, bolstered by travelling and living across the country as her father was in the army. Later, she also did her Masters in conservation.
“There is this perception in society that good students become doctors or engineers. However, one needs to ignore what people say because good things only happen when you are honest with your choices,” she adds.
Today, she is an art curator and the Managing Director and Founder of Belita Design Solutions Private Limited—an interior design firm behind redesigning historical spaces including the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Following her passion
Dr Masooma Rizvi
Dr Rizvi never planned to open her own venture.
She recalls that while working on some independent design projects, she came across a newspaper advertisement about redesigning a Gymkhana Club. Without wasting a second, she started working on the project, pulling late nights while taking care of her small child.
She showcased her design and was selected for the project.
“They asked me about my company’s name and I did not have one. So, they asked me to get one registered,” she mentions. So, she founded Belita Design Solutions Pvt Ltd in 2007.
In 2010, Dr Rizvi designed and executed interiors and art projects for Manekshaw Centre, Delhi.
“We conceptualised a theme-based project depicting the army using Indian art forms and cultural aspects. It was a challenge that has been widely acclaimed by all who have visited this iconic building. This project was inaugurated by the then President of India, Pratibha Patil,” she adds.
Among all the projects Dr Rizvi particularly remembers the Rashtrapati Bhavan project. The then-President APJ Abdul Kalam was planning to set up an ideation centre at his official residence.
Dr Rizvi grabbed the opportunity. When she visited Rashtrapati Bhavan for the first time, she didn’t even have a proper measuring tape and had to use a tailor's tape instead. After two months of hard work, her efforts finally paid off when she was selected for the project.
“I created a simple design that used locally made baked bricks, local vernacular architecture, and involved artisans from northeastern India and Rajasthan to build a green building.”
However, before securing the project, many people doubted her abilities. She remembers other artists questioning her experience, asking if she had a degree or if she was working alone or with someone else. “Abdul Kalam Ji was that one person you need in life who gives you the courage to live my dreams and scale them to another height,” she proclaims.
In 2011, Dr Rizvi was also involved in designing the interior spaces of Rashtrapathi Bhawan, under then-President Pratibha Patil.
She also worked on many other projects including airports and educational institutions.
At the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya Dham, she led a team of four artists to create a depiction of the Return of Lord Ram. Working with the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, she designed the Indo-Bahrain Friendship Mural for the Indian Embassy in Bahrain, and thematic art for the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, New Delhi. She also completed thematic artwork for the Indian Buddhist Temple at the White Horse Temple Complex in Luoyang, China.
Dr Rizvi is also designated the art curator for the Airport Authority of India. Recently, she was involved in the art curation of the Chennai airport.
Moreover, at IIT Delhi, she designed and executed interiors and art projects for the Sonipat campus, focusing on the theme of science and technology. Additionally, she served as an art consultant and member of the high-powered committee for selecting art for the new Supreme Court building in New Delhi.
Currently, she is working on various projects in Japan, including a digital and static exhibit showcasing Indian culture, an Indian cultural centre with a central sanctum for deities, and a museum project in Rajasthan.
“Additionally, I am creating gardens for children at a charity hospital in Hyderabad and developing two parks—an eco-friendly butterfly park and another showcasing the history of a ministry. I'm eager to see these projects come to life and continue learning and growing through each experience,” she adds.
Learnings
Dr Rizvi believes that hard work, constant learning, and attention to detail are the keys to success.
“My biggest takeaway is to keep trying, never give up on your dreams, and constantly reevaluate your goals. Take time to introspect and don't be afraid to correct-course,” she says.
She acknowledges that gender bias exists in the interior designing industry but believes that it's possible to change people's mindsets.
“We women know how to bring up children, run houses, do jobs and whatnot. It’s a woman’s world out there,” she adds.