Hello, from Yashna
“what drives you?” – the ever-shifting intensity of our natural world, which mirrors my own depth and complexity; this compels me to capture and immortalise beauty as i experience it – translating fleeting moments into something lasting for others to share in my unique encounters.
Who are you?
originally from mauritius, i trained and studied as a scientist in the uk. outside of my ‘traditional career path’, i’m an artist, writer and storyteller driven by her passion and love for nature, entirely self-taught.
though, passions don’t always fit neatly into society’s ‘ideal career manual’. if like me, you’re someone with multiple interests, you’ve probably been advised to “niche down” or you wouldn’t be taken seriously – an advice that is regressive and counterintuitive to artistic expression which by nature, is expansive and ever-shifting, like our own humanness. so, i cannot subscribe to the notion that we should be defined by one thing, or that it has to be the thing that pays the bills. da vinci is a great reminder of this philosophy.
for me, creating in all its forms - art, words, images, or movement - is how i express who i truly am and connect to the world around me.
can i practise what i was born to do; simply for the joy of capturing and eternalising the fleeting beauty this world has to offer, without the crushing weight of conformity and the deafening tick of the clock.
Why
The Snowdrop Gallery?
snowdrops, frail to the eye, yet resolute; the first flowers of spring that dare brave the cold desolate lands, softening the winter gloom. in them i see a truth that has long lived in me; that what is delicate may also endure. hope, resilience and beauty in the face of bleakness, this is what draws me to them, and why i chose their name to carry my work.
in the years i’ve lost to survival, art has been my breath. for a long time, i struggled to reconcile my own softness and vulnerability as feats of strength. the snowdrop gallery honours this, with carefully curated pieces; reflecting the beauty persisting despite adversity, and to begin, what land could speak better of endurance and splendour than the scottish hills and skies?
my work embraces versatility in both style and medium. i enjoy challenging myself by exploring different materials, guided by what each scene or concept demands. this approach is reflected throughout my portfolio. additionally, i also accept commissions. so, if you’ve got a project in mind, feel free to contact me.
Why do you do it?
i don’t remember the first paintbrush i held. but it’s something i’ve always gravitated towards as a child. although i’ve often abandoned it throughout my life, i always return to it because of my innate need for expression and belonging. my art is born from that desire, coupled with my ability to capture the beauty around me.
when i’m overwhelmed by big emotions, often, alone in those feelings, i find it difficult to create. but when the world’s magnificence startles me into awe – when light hits a scene in a way that feels uniquely mine to witness; i feel a deep urge to capture it, immortalise it and share it. in the words of chris mccandless, “happiness is only real when shared.”
the dramatic skies and humbling peaks, they overwhelm. yet, we revel in the intensity and beauty. i see my own inner life mirrored. my work is shaped in that same spirit: the raw and the tender, coexisting.
if you cannot walk these places, perhaps my art may carry some of their presence to you. i hope my work moves you as much as the beauty of the world moves me. thank you for following my journey as i share pieces of myself in the best way i know how.
there is beauty in the darkness as there is beauty in the light; none without the other, they coexist in a beautiful harmony.