The visual art industry in India is a vibrant and thriving sector that showcases the rich cultural heritage and diverse artistic expressions of the country. In this dynamic landscape, Geeta Nallani, the founder of You Art, plays a pivotal role in bridging the gap between art and interior design. With over a decade of experience in textiles, interior design, and art, Geeta and her team have successfully designed numerous offices and residential spaces in Mumbai. Through her work, Geeta recognized the significance of incorporating art into living spaces and identified the lack of awareness and accessibility to affordable art as a pressing issue. Driven by her vision, Geeta established Saga Art and launched You Art, an online gallery dedicated to Indian art. She firmly believes that art should transcend being a mere transactional experience and aims to make YOU. ART as an interactive platform equipped with cutting-edge technology. Geeta and her team strive to provide a space where people can discover information about art and artists, find inspiration, and actively engage and invest in the art according to their own capacity. Through her endeavors, Geeta Nallani empowers artists and contributes to the growth and appreciation of the visual art industry in India. Let’s know more about her in below interview snippets. 

Describe your educational background and how you developed an interest in the field of art.

I hold a master’s degree in design. Throughout the past decade of practicing interior design, I realized the logical extension from Design to Art. Many times, the design process reached its culmination and achieved greater impact through the art we selected for successful project completion. Collaborating with art collector clients during their interior projects provided me with valuable experiences. These experiences ignited my contemplation on the significance of Art in defining a space and its design. This led me to explore galleries, engage with art dealers, and pursue courses at renowned institutions such as MOMA and Sotheby's. During this exploration, I identified numerous challenges faced by art buyers in terms of identifying, understanding, and purchasing art. Motivated by this realization, I delved into the art world and discovered a vast pool of talented individuals creating contemporary art, yet facing limited opportunities to showcase their work to the world.

What prompted the establishment of You Art? Describe the venture's concept and specialization.

We recognized the abundance of talented artists with limited opportunities to showcase their work and the growing demand for art in people's living spaces with limited access to the art world. To address this, we created Saga Art, an art consultancy firm that assists corporations and individuals in art investment. Our vision is to make great works of art accessible to everyone, encouraging knowledge, exploration, discussion, investment, and ownership. To make art readily available for purchase, we launched the e-commerce art platform, You Art, featuring a curated collection of 100 artworks every 100 days. Unlike other websites, we avoid overwhelming buyers with thousands of artworks and instead focus on a fresh and engaging collection. Our partnership with Tagsmart ensures digital provenance records and Certificates of Authenticity using DNA tagging technology. Additionally, our website offers augmented reality features and a virtual gallery experience for an enhanced user journey. We have optimized the entire backend process to ensure the artwork's originality, valuation, payment convenience, and secure delivery to the buyer's location.

How does your industry experience empower you as a business leader today?

I strongly believe in integrating art into designing of living spaces. Art is often neglected until the last stages of a design project, but it is a vital element that adds the finishing touch and brings a space to life. By including the right art, I have witnessed our designed spaces transform. I encourage every interior designer and architect to allocate one wall in each of their projects, providing artists with a tremendous opportunity to showcase their work.

"My mantra for success revolves around hard work, research, discipline, & effective stake-holder management"

What do you consider the most challenging aspects of leading an art gallery in today's business climate? How do you overcome these challenges?

Selling art is difficult because many perceive it as expensive and exclusive. The subjective nature of art requires a large collection to cater to diverse tastes, resulting in the challenge of managing an extensive inventory. Additionally, maintaining a physical gallery space incurs costs. To overcome these obstacles, we utilize social media to reach out to people and demonstrate the accessibility and understanding of art. As an online gallery, we bypass the expenses associated with a traditional gallery format.

Share the top three milestones you have achieved in your professional journey. What is your mantra for success?

I would say running a successful Design firm, Recognition as one of the top 10 women design entrepreneurs in India in 2022 by India Today magazine, and Launching our website are the three milestones I have achieved in my professional journey My mantra for success revolves around hard work, research, discipline, and effective stake-holder management.

How has the growth journey of You Art been so far? What are your plans for the next phase of growth?

We have experienced positive sales on our website, marking a promising start. With over 70 onboarded artists and four successful curations, we aim to expand our offerings to include other art forms such as sculptures in our online platform. Additionally, we are exploring opportunities in art online auctions and the realm of NFTs.

Geeta Nallani, Founder, You Art

Geeta Nallani is a visionary entrepreneur and creative force in the fields of textiles, interior design, and art. With over a decade of experience, she has made a significant impact in transforming living spaces through her innovative designs. Geeta's passion for art led her to launch the online gallery, You Art.