Shruti Maram is a mixed-media artist based in Frisco, TX. She recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, from the University of Dallas, Texas. Although her education followed incredibly analytical pursuits, in contrast, her art is a completely intuitively guided space.

Maram’s art explores Surrealism – an art form balancing the rational vision of life alongside the whimsical power of the subconscious and dreams – and Abstract Expressionism, which does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of visual reality.

I’ve had the honor of witnessing snippets of her creative process over the years, whether it be her drawing in her notebook while we talk or creating in a deep meditative state. I truly believe she is a vessel guided by a higher power. I recently had a conversation with her about her art and creative process, and this piece encapsulates elements of our discussion.

How would you describe your artistic style, and which three words best capture the essence of your work?

I would describe my artistic style as Surrealism. That’s definitely what I try to do when I create art. I like combining realistic details with abstract, unreal concepts at the same time. As for three words to describe my art, I’ll start with some technical ones and then move to three that describe the feeling.

Technically, I’d say vibrant and colorful. For the feeling, I’d say flowy, deep – introspective almost – and personal.

What does art represent to you, in general? And more specifically, how does the act of creating it hold meaning in your life?

Art, in general, means creative expression to me. I wish I had more words for it, but that’s about it.

Creating art is sometimes just creative expression, but here’s where I contradict myself: it’s almost as if something is working through me. On one hand, but on the other, I feel weird taking credit for something that’s not coming from my own mind. Most of the time, I’m not trying to make something — it just kind of happens. I start creating, and then whatever is there shows up.

Interesting. Do you feel like there’s a higher power working through you?

Yeah, I feel really weird saying that. It’s almost like I start doing something and my hands figure out the rest. My brain isn’t really involved in the process.

When did you start gravitating towards art? What mediums did you start off exploring?

Honestly, I was around 2 years old. I’ve always been doing so much art since I was little. I think there are still couches in the media room that I’ve Sharpied all over, and I used to draw on the walls. My parents put me in art classes when I was 3 because they thought, “Oh, she won’t stop drawing, so let’s figure out what to do with this.” So yeah, I’ve been taking classes since I was very young, and since I can remember, I’ve always been creating art.

The first piece I remember is done with colored pencils. I had an Indian art teacher who taught out of his apartment when I was young. From there, I used whatever mediums my teachers gave me. It was fun. Even through school and classes, I experimented with oil pastels, watercolors, and many different materials. But I think I’ve always gravitated toward acrylics the most because they’ve been the easiest. I’m trying to get more into oils now so I can let the paint sit and work on it longer, but acrylics have always been more “one and done.” They’re the easiest medium for me.

Acrylics seem to be the medium you use most. What mediums are you currently most drawn to?

Right now, I’m mostly drawn to oil, but out of habit, I’m sticking with acrylics like I usually do. I have paint markers filled with acrylic paint, so it’s just more convenient for me. I’ve also been really drawn to charcoal. I used to use charcoal a lot, then took a break from it to focus more on color. But I really like combining black and white elements with color

What role does color play in your creative expression?

It’s interesting because I didn’t fully realize this until someone else pointed it out to me. A couple of months ago, I was in India, and one of my mom’s friends’ daughters – who is an interior designer and architect – was looking at a lot of my art. We were talking about our artistic sides and what we do with it. She explained how vibrant yet dark the colors I use are, consistently across my paintings. There’s often a contrast between deep, dark hues and bright, vibrant tones. I love noticing that dynamic as it unfolds in my work.

What themes and messages do you explore in your art?

I like to act like I’m just a logical person and wish I could be a robot, but especially when I create art, I do a full 180. The main time I create is when I’m very emotional. When I’m processing an emotion, allowing myself to feel, I usually gravitate towards a canvas and some paints. I process a lot of how I’m feeling through creative expression. I used to channel my more extreme emotions in my art, but more recently, I just let whatever emotions come up come up. I want to explore the more complicated emotions through my art.

How does your art differ in different mindsets – whether pain, grief, or other emotions versus being in a meditative state?

Color is probably the biggest difference. I intuitively gravitate toward whatever colors I feel. Especially because I’m not trying to make logical decisions about color, I just let myself feel whatever color draws me. That’s the biggest difference you can see in my paintings created in different mindsets.

How much does your intuition guide you in creating your art?

A lot. The more I create, the more I try to let my intuition take the wheel. I don’t want to be in control when I’m painting. The whole thing is meditative for me and an act of surrender. I like to be in the habit of seeing myself as a vessel, with something bigger flowing through me. It’s not based on ‘me’ or ‘I’, it’s something bigger.

Has your intuition been strengthened through creating art?

Definitely. Intuition is like a muscle. When I was younger, I just drew to draw – I didn’t really understand what I was doing or why, but I couldn’t stop. It was always my favorite thing. As I got older, I began focusing on technical skills, and it almost became a chore. It became work, so I started to drift away from it. During a very emotional phase of life, I reconnected with art through emotion. Now, trying to reintegrate the technical and emotional aspects has been a fun process – bringing together what I’ve learned in each phase of life and the art styles I’ve adopted. That’s why Surrealism is my favorite. I’m allowed to do everything I feel I’m usually not allowed to do on a canvas.

Who are your artistic inspirations, and how have they evolved or inspired your personal work?

I have three main inspirations:

First, my elementary art school teacher. She was such a happy, sweet person and made sure we didn’t have any mental limitations going into art. Obviously, you have to give kids assignments, but if you hand them a box of crayons, you never know what will happen. The way she gave us structure never made me feel limited, it was a nice balance between structure and flow.

Second, another art teacher I fought with my parents to attend classes with. We became close, and just observing her styles and techniques influenced me a lot. She was so herself in her art, and that energy rubbed off on me. I got to a point where I realized I just need to let myself shine through my art.

Third, Salvador Dalí. He was probably, most definitely insane, but that insanity was beautiful. The amount of technical detail and skill with color is incredible. I don’t know what he was on, but I want that. He was in another state of being. It’s almost like looking at alien artwork and wondering how we even got it to work. I lost all sense of time staring at his paintings in person.

What do you hope people take away from your art when they experience it?

I don’t want to control what people see. I don’t want to set their intention. The more I’ve sat with this and observed what people take away from my art, it’s like they see a piece of themselves. I don’t know exactly how, because it’s different for everyone, and that’s my favorite thing. I have the same experience looking at my art – I’ll look at the same piece at different times in my life and focus on different elements or feel different emotions. I just love that people can connect with a piece of themselves through my art. It’s never me trying to show others something. My art is something I create that we can all connect to.

As we wrap up our conversation, are there any goals or dreams you’re pursuing with your art?

I don’t know – hopefully, I become a famous artist, but I’m not sure what that means or looks like. I just hope my art can be somewhere where as many people as possible can see it and connect with it.

Writer’s note:

Shruti, thank you for inspiring me through your art and allowing me to witness moments of your creative process and expression. Watching you evolve as an artist and as a person over the years has brought immeasurable peace and joy to my own essence. Thank you for creating art that I can immerse myself in fully. I truly believe your art will inspire many others to connect with their emotions more deeply and authentically.