At 7, she fell in love with art. Today, this self-taught Bengaluru artist's paintings are displayed at the UN headquarters. How one social media post changed her life

Some people are simply born with talent, while others nurture the skill to bring out the best in them. In a world that rewards securing a stable job, hustle culture and the 9-5 corporate grind, brave are those who dare to embark on a less-trodden path and follow their dreams, despite the risks. Such is the story of Bengaluru artist Namita Kulkarni, whose deep love for painting helped her achieve a level of international recognition that most creators only dream of. But it all started with a profound belief that she was always meant to pursue art.

Childhood love for painting became a global phenomenon

According to a report by The Better India, Namita Kulkarni was only 7 years old when she learnt the meaning of the word ‘artist’. But from that very moment, she knew that she wanted to be a painter. Namita associates painting with breathing. For her, it is a way of life to play, reclaim agency, and to heal. ‘Sometimes to turn pain into power, and other times to make friends with the pain,’ she notes.


Despite having no formal training in art, Namita, a self-taught artist, achieved a significant milestone recently. 7 of her paintings went on the global stage, exhibited at the prestigious United Nations in New York, which was held from June 5 to July 10. The topic of the series, commissioned by the International Centre for Advocates Against Discrimination (ICCAD), a New York-based human rights organisation, was Colonialism and the Climate Crisis.

Namita unlocked the door of opportunity when she stumbled upon a Facebook post in December 2021, reported The Hindu. The post called artists to create work on any human rights subject and Namita applied on the portal on a whim. A week later, she was selected alongside 4 other artists from around the world. Namita partook in a 2-month Human Rights course, featuring rigorous reading and exploring the relationship between humans and nature, including water, forests, oceans, and the earth.

Bengaluru artist’s illustrations at the UN

According to the Deccan Herald, some of Namita’s works that were hung inside the UN headquarters were Lakes on Fire, depicting a Bengaluru lake catching fire; Once Upon a Reef, which portrayed pollution in the oceans; and Woman Stands Shining, a painting inspired by the Diné people, also known as the Navajo Nation.

Namita, in a conversation with The Hindu, revealed that her artworks encourage viewers to see climate change through a broader historical lens, highlighting how it is deeply intertwined with the legacy of colonialism. They also pay tribute to Indigenous communities across the world, whose traditional ways of living have long demonstrated a harmonious relationship with nature.