Meet the artist Debarati, who paints emotions in neon hues. Starting with simple sketches in the margins of school notebooks, her journey blossomed into a vibrant digital portfolio filled with dreamy landscapes, lovers in silhouette, and nostalgic melodies. In this interview, she open up about art, emotion, technology, and the soul behind every brushstroke.
When did you start your journey as a digital artist?
I’ve always had a strong connection with art. Ever since I was a child, I would find myself scribbling and sketching on the margins of my notebooks—drawing was second nature to me. But it was around 2018–2019 that my journey as a digital artist truly began. I got my first iPad then, and that’s when I started exploring digital painting more seriously.
I started by creating dreamy landscapes and sceneries, and gradually moved on to including human figures, usually lovers, to bring a deeper emotional layer to the scene. Over time, my work developed a signature neon, romantic aesthetic, with subtle animation and old classic music in the background to complete the mood. That’s how it all took shape.
Can art ever be truly objective, or is it always a reflection of the artist’s personal perspective and biases?
I think art is deeply personal—whether we realize it or not, it always carries a part of us within it. It reflects our memories, our moods, what we’re feeling, and even things we might not be able to put into words. So, in that sense, I don’t think art can ever be truly objective. Even when we try to depict something universal, it’s still filtered through our individual lens.
In my own work, I find that even a dreamy nightscape or a glowing silhouette of a couple says something about my emotions at that point in time. That’s the beauty of it, honestly—art speaks in a language that’s personal and shared at the same time.
In a world increasingly driven by technology and artificial intelligence, what is the evolving role of human creativity in the production and appreciation of art?
I have a mixed view when it comes to AI and creativity. While I do think technology can support and enhance art in interesting ways, I also believe that creativity is a very human space—it’s about self-expression, emotional release, and personal joy. AI might be able to mimic certain emotions or aesthetics, but the why behind art; the emotion, the struggle, the lived experience, still belongs to people.
It worries me a little, thinking about a future where AI overshadows human creativity. But I also feel that as long as we keep nurturing creativity in its raw form letting kids play with crayons, touch watercolors, make a mess there’s hope. Art should always have that space to be human, spontaneous, and imperfect.
What does art mean to you? How does art design serve as a bridge between functionality and emotion, and in what ways does it shape our perception of everyday experience?
Art, for me, is a kind of emotional language. It’s where I go when I want to feel more, understand more, or just breathe a little. It helps me romanticize everyday moments turning ordinary scenes into dreamy visuals that transport people. I try to make my art feel like a warm memory or a quiet wish.
Design, especially in the digital world, often walks a line between beauty and utility. But I think what makes it powerful is when it connects with people emotionally. A soft glow, a color palette, or a subtle animation these things can stir feelings, even if you don’t realize it. That’s how art shapes our everyday perception it makes us pause and feel something.
If art is a manifestation of divine connection, can the act of creating or experiencing art be considered a form of spiritual practice or transcendence?
Yes, I think so. Creating art has often felt like a meditative space for me, a moment where the rest of the world fades out and it’s just me and the canvas. There’s something almost sacred about that. Sometimes I’m not even sure where certain ideas or compositions come from—they just flow, and I’m just the medium. And when someone connects with that artwork, feels what I felt or something of their own, it becomes this beautiful shared experience. That’s definitely spiritual in its own way.
If every picture holds a unique story, how do the viewer’s personal experiences and emotions influence the narrative they perceive in a work of art?
Oh, completely. I think once a piece of art is out there, it belongs just as much to the viewer as it does to the artist. Everyone brings their own memories, hopes, and heartbreaks to it. The same painting might feel like nostalgia to one person and longing to another. And I love that. I love that something I created with my own emotions ends up becoming a mirror for someone else’s. That’s why I keep my visuals dreamy and open-ended so people can breathe their own stories into them.
