Aysha Choudhury’s practice is rooted in emotion, intuition and a deep connection to the natural world. Working through painting, she draws on flowers, water, colour, light and organic forms to explore ideas around healing, growth, identity and personal experience.
Choudhury’s work is also increasingly shaped by her South Asian and Islamic heritage, bringing cultural and spiritual references into a contemporary visual language that remains highly personal. Rather than presenting fixed narratives, she creates space for viewers to bring their own memories and emotions to the work.
Based in Bedfordshire, Choudhury works from a studio in her bedroom, where painting forms part of a daily creative rhythm. Her process is intuitive and layered, allowing colour, texture and imagery to develop organically as each work takes shape.
In this interview, Choudhury discusses the experiences and influences behind her practice, the importance of nature and symbolism within her work, and the new projects she is currently developing, including an art book reflecting on almost a decade of professional practice.
Are you self-taught, or did you undertake formal artistic training?
From a very young age, I had the creative flow running through me instinctively. I am self-taught and have always been making something with my hands. Even in my own time after school, I would draw something each day, and to this day I have an archive of sketchbooks dating back to the age of 10.
Looking back through the books, I can tell what I felt or was curious about during those times, continuously evolving and changing as a young artist. I studied Illustration and Visual Communication at university, which helped me understand different potential ways to create that I hadn’t really thought about before. Now I continue to self-study and practise painting regularly.
How would you define your visual language or conceptual approach?
I’d describe my visual language as intuitive, organic and emotionally driven. I am drawn to nature, such as flowers, water, organic shapes, light and colour. I use these elements as a way of expressing things that are more internal and difficult to put into words, something I have done from a young age until this day.
It has become my natural instinct, and my body of work is about emotion, healing, growth and identity. I am interested in how something from the natural world can be a metaphor for an inner experience, finding the bridges between my inner creative world and reality. For example, a flower might represent vulnerability or resilience, while water can suggest movement, change or emotional release.
Colour is very important to me, and I use it to express what is felt rather than to represent something realistically, particularly through hue and saturation. It carries emotional feelings through colour and within the atmosphere of my paintings.
Recently, I have been bringing more of my cultural and spiritual references into the work, particularly elements connected with my South Asian and Islamic heritage.
I see my conceptual approach as being about connecting and understanding my personal experiences th
rough universal truths. I want my work to be visually immersive and to allow the viewer a space to go inwards and reflect, bringing their own experiences to it.
Can you describe your creative process from conception to completion?
My creative process usually starts with a vision, a feeling or an idea that is ready to bloom into reality. Sometimes it comes from experiences I am dealing with, and the painting process helps me find answers. Other times, it might be an observation in nature, a colour combination, memory or emotion that I want to explore.
There have also been times when it is purely intuitive, when I feel that I need to create but don’t know why. Usually, the answer reveals itself during the creative flow or on completion of the painting.
I usually gather inspiration in all types of forms and remember how I felt through them when creating paintings. I might do small studies and experiments with colour before the final painting, allowing myself to enjoy the process and let it develop organically.
The actual painting process is quite intuitive, layering colours, textures, form and light. I respond to what the canvas has revealed rather than following the original idea exactly.
Sometimes it takes me in a different direction and reveals another story through the process. I step back and think about what is missing or what it needs, finding the balance between the visual elements and emotion.
A painting is never finished, only complete when it feels resolved to me and has space for the viewer to interpret and connect with it in their own way.
Does narrative, symbolism, or storytelling play a role within your work?
Definitely. Narrative and symbolism are quite important within my work, although I don’t always tell a fixed narrative story. I am more interested in creating a visual narrative that allows the viewer to connect with the work through their own experiences.
I often use elements from nature symbolically. Flowers, for example, can represent growth, vulnerability, beauty or resilience, while water can suggest change, movement or emotional release. Colour and light also play a role in communicating a particular emotional state.
My personal experiences and cultural background also influence the stories within my work. I sometimes draw on spiritual and cultural references, particularly from my South Asian and Islamic heritage, to explore ideas around identity, belonging, memory and spirituality.
For me, symbolism creates another layer beneath the visual image. I want there to be something that initially draws the viewer in visually, allowing them to step into my creative world for a moment, but then gives them an opportunity to pause and find their own meaning within it.
So the story might begin with me, but it doesn’t necessarily end with me. The viewer becomes part of that narrative too.
Which artists have most influenced you historically or contemporarily and why?
I think I’m more influenced by my own experiences, emotions and the things I encounter in everyday life than by any particular artist. I can honestly find inspiration in almost anything: a feeling, a memory, nature, a conversation, a colour, a place or something I see that stays with me. I tend to absorb those experiences, and they often come back into my work in an unexpected way.
That said, there are artists and creatives whose work I really admire. Frida Kahlo is someone who has influenced me because of how deeply personal and emotional her work is. I love the way she translated her experiences and feelings into symbolism and imagery. I am also inspired by her life story, how she managed her long-term health issues and yet still found a way to create regardless of her situation.
I’m also very inspired by James Jean, particularly his dreamlike worlds, organic forms, nature and intricate details. His work has a sense of imagination and mystery that really resonates with me. Taking inspiration from his roots as a Taiwanese artist also reminded me to connect more closely with my own South Asian background.
Alexander McQueen is another important influence, even though he worked primarily in fashion. I’m fascinated by his ability to combine beauty, nature, emotion and storytelling to create an entire world around his work.
So I wouldn’t say I consciously take my style from these artists. Rather, I’m inspired by the way they communicate ideas and emotions through their own visual languages. Ultimately, my biggest influence is life itself, my experiences, feelings and the world around me. I think the artists I admire simply encourage me to look at those things in different ways.
What personal, cultural, or environmental influences shape your practice?
I think my practice is shaped most strongly by my experiences and emotions. I’m very observant of how I feel and how certain experiences stay with me, and I often process those feelings through painting. Things like memories, relationships, growth, change and moments of reflection can all find their way into my work.
My cultural background is also an important part of my practice. Being from a South Asian background and having a connection to Islamic culture has naturally influenced the way I see colour, pattern, ornamentation and symbolism.
Generationally speaking, I have been taught different arts and crafts since childhood by my mother and my grandmother in India. I’m interested in how those cultural references can exist alongside my own contemporary visual language, rather than simply reproducing traditional imagery.
Nature is another major influence. I’m constantly inspired by flowers, water, landscapes, organic forms, light and colour. I think nature gives me a visual vocabulary for expressing emotions that can sometimes be difficult to communicate directly. A flower, for example, can become a way of thinking about growth or vulnerability, while water can represent movement, change or emotional release.
I’d say I’m generally inspired by everything around me. I don’t necessarily go looking for inspiration. It can come from something very small or unexpected. I think my practice is really a combination of my inner world and the world around me, and painting is where those two things meet.
Where is your studio based, and how does the space inform your creativity?
My studio is based in my bedroom in Bedfordshire, so it’s quite a personal and intimate space. I think that actually suits my practice because a lot of my work comes from my own experiences, emotions and things I encounter in everyday life.
Having my studio in my bedroom means that I’m constantly surrounded by my work. I have paintings, materials, sketches and ideas around me, and sometimes I’ll wake up and look at something I was working on the night before and suddenly see it differently. I like that the creative process can continue naturally rather than being something I switch on and off.
When an idea hits, I can quickly get it down in my sketchbook and make something from it.
It’s also a space where I feel comfortable experimenting. I can take my time, make mistakes and let a painting develop without feeling pressured to have an immediate outcome. Because my practice is quite intuitive, having that personal space really helps me connect with the emotional side of the work.
And, of course, I have my studio cat assistant, who is always there to supervise or occasionally get involved! It’s become a really comforting part of my creative routine.
Although it’s a small space, I think there’s something quite meaningful about creating from my bedroom. It’s where a lot of my ideas, experiences and emotions begin, so in a way the space itself becomes part of my creative process.
Do you have any rituals or rhythms that anchor your studio practice?
I have quite a fluid structure to my studio practice. I don’t follow a strict schedule because I like to leave room for spontaneity and for ideas to develop naturally. But one thing I’m very consistent about is making time to create every day. I always try to draw or paint for at least an hour, even if it’s just experimenting, sketching ideas or working on something small.
I find that having that daily practice keeps me connected to my creativity. Some days I might be very focused and spend hours painting, while other days I might simply make marks, explore colour or develop an idea. I don’t put pressure on myself for every session to result in a finished piece. The important thing is that I’m creating.
I also like to work on paintings over time, stepping away from them and coming back with fresh eyes. Because my practice is quite intuitive, I find that this allows the work to evolve naturally.
And, of course, my studio cat is always there as part of the routine! So although my practice has structure, it’s a flexible structure that allows me to follow where my creativity takes me.
What bodies of work or projects are you currently developing?
At the moment, I’m working on two main things: I’m writing my own art book and developing a new body of paintings.
The art book is something I’m really excited about because it gives me an opportunity to bring together different parts of my practice and reflect on my journey as an artist. I have been a professional artist for almost 10 years now, and I feel like I am ready to show my artistic journey in a book, including the life lessons and experiences that have made me who I am today. I am documenting my paintings, ideas and the stories behind them.
Alongside the book, I’m creating new paintings and allowing the work to evolve naturally. I’m experimenting with colour, composition and imagery while continuing to explore the themes that are important to me, particularly emotions, nature, growth, identity and personal experience.
I think working on the book alongside new paintings has been really valuable because it’s made me look back at my work while also thinking about where I want to take my practice next. It feels like both a reflection on what I’ve created so far and the beginning of a new chapter.
Where can collectors encounter or acquire your work?
Collectors can encounter and acquire my work directly through my website, www.ayshaarts.com. I have an online store where collectors can find original paintings, prints and different collections.
I also really enjoy connecting with people through social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok, where I share my creative process, new work and what’s happening in my studio. You can find me on both platforms as @ayshaarts.
I also have a newsletter that people can join through my website, which is a great way to stay updated with new paintings, collections, releases and upcoming projects.
For me, it’s important that collectors can not only discover the finished work, but also get a sense of the stories, ideas and process behind it.
