Anita Dalmia’s works have a painterly feel. There is a certain old-world charm which lends to the poetry of her designs, lovely in their minuteness. Anita is the founder and creative director of HMSADESIGNS. Based in New Delhi, they are all about making homes beautiful with their wallpapers, home furnishings, carpets, wall coverings, fabrics, furniture, lighting and home accessories. t2 chatted with Anita on her process and more.

What is art to you?

To me art is meditation because when you are actually creating you come to a space of nothingness. There are no thoughts. You are just lost in your creation. Art to me is one’s expression from within to outside. It could be through painting, through interiors, through cooking… it could be anything. Art is a means of self-expression.

What were your earliest influences that sparked your interest in the arts?

At the start, I was like any other child who would draw a house, trees, and mountains on paper with sketch pens. My mother organised art teachers when I was growing up but other than that I did not receive any formal training in art. At the age of 13, I visited the Louvre in Paris for the first time. I was fascinated by the large canvases and loved the huge murals. When I returned, I began dabbling in oil paints and acrylics, attempting to copy works of Rubens and Caravaggio. Initially, it was about copying works and trying to teach myself. However, my dalliance with painting, mostly self-taught, ended there but my love for art remained.

Did you study art?

Post school and undergrad in India, I went to college in the US at the American College for the Applied Arts where I studied graphic design and then did a two-year diploma in fashion design at a polytechnic in India. At this juncture, I was interested in everything creative but was confused about exactly what I wanted to do. I was a kind of a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’.

How did your journey into the world of arts start?

I think I got my artistic identity when I came in contact with my spiritual mentor or ‘guru’, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and began meditating. Meditation gave me an insight and the focus to do something different where art was concerned.

My first foray into designing began with my wanting to re-decorate a room in my house. I wanted it to represent me and my meditations, so I started by designing upholstery with spiritual themes based on our rich Indian mythology. At the time, there was nobody really doing customised upholstery design. I think that is what was unique. The fact that I customise design for clients on any surface from curtains to coasters, is what sets me apart from the rest and was the beginning of my career in design. I am also very good with colour. Especially bold colours that people ordinarily assume are mismatched somehow always complement each other when I put them together. I consider it to be one of my biggest strengths because in my opinion, colours can make a work or destroy it.

It is interesting that you talk about meditation. How has meditation changed your life?

Meditation has changed my life entirely. It has helped me consolidate my energy, which was scattered, and helped me focus, to be more positive, to be more in acceptance, to be comfortable with myself and increased my intuition.

Has it played a part in how you see art?

Yes! It has helped me in my art. It enhanced my creativity and helped the flow of creative ideas though I do occasionally hit a plateau. It has helped me see beauty in everything.

Can you elaborate a bit on your process?

I am a graphic designer and use the designs that I create on the computer to create beautiful images or tell beautiful stories. Although painstaking and laborious, I think it works wonders. I get my designs printed on myriad surfaces such as wallpapers, fabrics, blinds… they basically adapt to what is required so I would say that my designs are extremely versatile. I am not one for abstract art though. I would describe my work as contemporary Indian.

I have to travel to process and clear my mind. My creativity gets enhanced when I visit ancient temples to see paintings, murals or walk in nature. I then draw or take photos and then work on Photoshop before getting them printed.

I draw my inspiration from looking at paintings, the colours people wear, clothes, architecture, nature, movie sets… basically everything!

There is so much romance in your work. Where do you derive that from?

Romance in my work comes from devotion. It comes from trying to relive the pastimes of Krishna Radha and their unconditional love for each other.

What are some of the important projects you have been a part of?

There have been quite a few significant projects that I have been involved with. I have designed upholstery, carpets, lamps, wallpaper, curtains, cushions for hotels like The Taj Mahal hotel, The Oberoi Group of Hotels, Lemon Tree Hotels, the interiors for a Bollywood actor’s home, and for the restaurant chain DIVA in Delhi and Milan. All these projects were prestigious assignments. If there were challenges, it was sometimes to meet the clients brief setting aside my own ideas, and executing what they wanted to perfection.

We were mesmerised by your collaboration with Obeetee...

My collaboration with Obeetee started quite a few years ago. It gave me the opportunity to adapt my design to larger sizes and experiment in working with different textures. My association with them has helped me enormously, given the visibility. They invested heavily in marketing, so my work was showcased on a large scale in four cities across India, introducing me to newer markets and audiences, not to mention the extensive media coverage.

What does art do to a space?

Art is a very important aspect in creating your space. It reflect a person’s space. I feel it’s very important to have happy and pleasant works of art, it could be a sculpture, wallpaper or paintings.

Besides interiors, what else do you want to explore, in terms of design?

I would like to explore porcelain as a medium.

Who have been your art icons?

Raja Ravi Varma, Bharti Kher, Frida Kahlo.

What are your other passions?

My other passions are to travel to lesser known, quiet, mystical places. I love to cook, love to shop, which I guess all women are passionate about and I enjoy watching documentaries on history.

What is your advice for all the budding artists?

My advice to somebody who is in the creative field is not to give their remote control to anybody else. They should be themselves, should design what makes them happy and once they are satisfied, the person who purchases their art will be able to grasp the integrity of their work. Whereas if they try to copy or try to make their work contrived to please others, very often, they may land up doing just the opposite! The idea is to be original. Don’t be scared. Be yourself and just create what comes from within.