When Jamila Godhrawala first moved to Aberdeen from Mumbai 12 years ago, it took her some time to adapt to her new surroundings.
But through her bold and creative artwork, Jamila is now starting to make a name for herself in the Granite City and beyond.
Jamila specialises in creating Indian, abstract and floral art. She has been commissioned for work in various restaurants and can turn her hand to a wide array of themes.
But above all, art is a source of empowerment for Jamila.
“Art, for me, is a way of expressing myself,” says Jamila.
“I feel liberated and motivated when I do my artwork.
“I’m quite an introverted person – I don’t always like to mingle around people.
“But when I’m working on my painting and using lots of bold colours, it empowers me.”
Indian roots
Despite her artistic pursuits, Jamila mentions that she wasn’t creative as a child growing up in India.
She graduated with a degree in commerce before unearthing her artistic passions and opting for a career change.
“I worked for a diamond firm in India for six years and came up with my own book full of jewellery designs,” says Jamila.
“However, I was also really interested in painting. So, after a while, I graduated in a course in painting and visual arts and began my journey to where I am now.”
New home
After her husband graduated with a Master’s degree in physiotherapy, Jamila moved over to Aberdeen in 2009 and endured a little bit of a culture shock to begin with.
“I’m from Mumbai – a city that never sleeps. When I was able to hear the tick-tock of the clock when I moved over here, I was thinking ‘where have I come to?’” Jamila laughs.
“It was so quiet. After 5pm, I used to wonder where everyone would go.”
Thankfully, Jamila now feels a lot more settled and has two children, her daughter aged 10 and son aged seven, following in her creative footsteps.
“My son loves drawing dinosaurs all day, he’s definitely the artier of the two,” she says.
Artwork
The now closed Holburn Gallery in Aberdeen was one of the first places where Jamila showcased her paintings since moving to Scotland.
Afterwards, she looked to gain more work. But being in a city with people she didn’t know posed obstacles.
“I tried to connect with people, send plenty of messages and show my artwork as much as I could,” Jamila explains.
“I eventually got my first break after what felt like a lot of convincing people that I could really do this.
“One of my earliest opportunities was with Tango Turtle, the Caribbean themed restaurant in Little Belmont Street. It was really nice to work there.”
Jamila has gone on to earn further commissions “slowly and steadily” during the last six years.
Canvas and mural works are Jamila’s most common art formats, with her biggest mural to date spanning 16 feet.
Her portfolio, and self-confidence, has been growing consistently and Jamila is keen to continue taking on new challenges.
“I’m more into abstract and floral art – that’s what I really love doing,” says Jamila.
“A lot of the time I’m also approached for Indian style art. Some Indian restaurants have asked me to create Indian style murals, then they allow me the creative freedom to do whatever I think will suit.
“I’m really happy that people have trusted me. Everyone has said they’ve loved the work that I’ve done and it’s really nice to hear positive feedback.”
Room to grow
Though she’s happy with her progress so far, Jamila is determined to earn a bigger reputation around the north-east for her artwork.
“I’m still quite unknown right now,” says Jamila.
“I have some of my work around Huntly and Aberdeen. I just work from a small corner in my room at home – that’s my studio at the moment!
“Having a real studio would be the dream.”
Being a shy person, art gives Jamila the space to express herself to the fullest.
There are new projects on the horizon. But looking ahead, she feels that there’s still plenty of room for her to grow.
“I would definitely like to be working with interior designers and sourcing more projects to work on. I’d love to see my artwork in people’s houses as well,” says Jamila.
“I’m scared of dreaming too big then disappointing myself! But I just want to do the best that I can.
“I want people to know about what I’m doing and that they can easily reach out to me.
“If people have anything in mind that they’d like done, I’m always open to being creative and painting to suit their vision.”
