Self Care & My Culture

My work is meant to highlight the importance of speaking up, lifting up the voices of underserved communities, and to take care of yourself so that you can come back stronger.

Hi! I’m Svetha, founder and artist at Indian Curryspondence (@indiancurryspondence) where I create punny Indian food-related greeting cards and art celebrating women of color. I work as an urban planner by day, a profession I truly love because I get to lift up the voices of vulnerable and underserved communities and advocate for safer, healthier, and more complete neighborhoods.

My work inspires me to lean into my culture as well. Being born in India but brought up in the U.S., I’ve always felt like an outsider - never truly belonging in either culture and not knowing how to identify. I felt shut out and ignored. More recently, I’ve grown to love my differences and to embrace my own unique culture of being an Indian-American.

I started Indian Curryspondence in the middle of the pandemic to help connect people through stationary but I also like to use my art platform to advocate against colorism, casteism, racism, and other issues prevalent in Indian culture. All the proceeds from my art are donated to Black Lives Matter and other nonprofit organizations supporting BIPOC.