Summary
Mumbai artist Vishwa Shroff reveals how drawing and not painting captures urban memory through cracks, stains & architecture. A deep dive into slow observation, creative discipline, boredom as a tool, and sustaining an art practice from Baroda, Basel, Tokyo to Mumbai.
This episode is part of a series of conversations with Matter. Matter is an architecture, design and curatorial practice with a deep interest in design discourse in India.
About the guest
Vishwa Shroff is a Mumbai-based artist represented by TARQ Gallery and co-founder of SQW Lab. Rooted in urban drawing and observation, her work explores memory and built space, and has been exhibited in London, Basel, and Tokyo.
Why and who should listen
Vishwa Shroff offers rare insight into sustaining a drawing practice, seeing architecture differently, and using slow observation as a creative method. Whether you sketch, design, or simply want to see the world more intentionally, this conversation delivers. This is a must listen for artists, architects, urban sketchers, designers & curious creatives interested in contemporary Indian art, observational drawing, creative process, and building a disciplined art practice. If you want to see the world differently, this episode is for you.
Topics discussed in this episode
What is drawing — really? Vishwa unpacks how she defines drawing not by medium but by mindset, and why she draws a sharp distinction between drawing and painting in the post-camera age.
How did you arrive at architecture and urban spaces as your subject matter? From drawing pigeons in Baroda to noticing where they roost — and how a family home transition sparked a lifelong interest in memory, space, and the traces left in built environments.
What do cracks, stains, and scars in buildings tell us? Vishwa explains how she reads the details of urban surfaces as time capsules of human presence — and why drawing, unlike photography, lets her edit and focus on only what matters.
How does your sketchbook and daily practice actually work? A practical look at her note-taking process, how photographs feed into finished works, and why her sketchbook functions as a living database of observations, spirals, and discoveries.
What advice do you have for young artists and creatives? On discipline as a daily non-negotiable, embracing boredom as the gateway to creativity, finding gallery representation, and why the act of making is an addiction with no exit strategy.
Reference links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishwa-shroff-5abb5a6a/?originalSubdomain=in
https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Vishwa-Shroff/361048FE06E8E2A2/Biography
https://indiaartfair.in/programme/the-music-of-buildings-vishwa-shroff
https://aaa.org.hk/en/collections/search/archive/jyoti-bhatt-archive
If this conversation sparked something in you, I would love to hear your thoughts. What resonated with you the most? Let us keep the conversation going in the comments.
