ArtSloth began as a deeply personal passion project, driven by a desire to address challenges I have encountered during my career as a self-taught artist. It only seemed right that I introduce myself to all of you brilliant artists and readers here. Over a decade of navigating the art world independently has helped me recognise the barriers faced by many emerging artists, particularly those without formal training or institutional connections.
As someone who didn’t attend art school, the journey to understanding art theory and fundamentals was often challenging. In India, and I'm sure this stands for most countries around the globe, art schools are either prohibitively expensive or highly competitive, with thousands of applicants vying for limited spots. While I pursued psychology in college, my true passion was always art. Much of my academic time was spent sketching and painting—fostering a creative foundation that grew organically but lacked the structured knowledge of forming compositions, colour theory, and technical skills that formal education provides. It never hindered my dedication to being an artist, and I still don't believe that Art School is necessary for a career in art, especially not in today's very modern world.
After graduating, I worked as a musician to fund my art supplies and studio space. I exhibited my work in local cafes, markets, and galleries. While my early exhibitions were successful, the path forward was less so. Rejections from galleries became a recurring theme, often due to my lack of formal art education, limited connections, or absence of notable exhibitions and publications. Galleries are often notoriously famous for rejecting portrait art. Many opportunities required recommendations or significant financial investments that at the time, I didn’t have — barriers that many self-taught artists face today.
Social media became a valuable outlet for showcasing my work and connecting with an audience. However, the leads generated rarely translated into consistent sales. Over time, I realised I was creating art for an audience rather than for myself, leading to creative burnout. These challenges, shared by countless other artists, helped me better understand the inequities in the art industry and inspired me to take action. And then came ArtSloth.
ArtSloth was born from the belief that access to opportunities in the art world should be based on merit rather than connections or financial resources. This platform aims to provide artists with exposure, educational resources, and opportunities for exhibitions and features without charging them for participation. At ArtSloth, we prioritise the art itself—selecting artists based on their talent, dedication, and passion.
Since its inception, ArtSloth has enabled me to engage with thousands of artists who resonate with what we stand for. Their shared experiences and unwavering support have reinforced my commitment to building a platform that uplifts and empowers emerging talent, without exploiting their limited resources.
While the platform is currently free to use, sustainable growth will necessitate some level of monetisation in the future. For instance, the magazine may transition to a paid subscription model to help us generate the funds required to expand our reach and offer greater visibility to the artists we support. However, I want to emphasise that ArtSloth will never charge artists for features on the ArtSloth platform.
Your support means everything to us. Every artist we feature, every piece of art we share, and every story we tell is made possible because of this incredible community. ArtSloth isn’t just a platform—it’s an initiative to make the art world more inclusive and accessible. Your belief in our mission fuels our efforts every day, and we are deeply grateful for it.
We want you to feel like ArtSloth is your platform, too. We want ArtSloth to be run by artists, for artists. Your feedback, ideas, and opinions matter, and we’re always here to listen. Whether you want to share suggestions, recommend artists, or simply drop us a message about what you’d like to see in future issues, we’d love to hear from you. If you’re inspired to get more involved, whether by volunteering, spreading the word, or helping us discover hidden talent, your contributions will make all the difference. At the moment, ArtSloth is a free platform. We hope in the future, we can grow the platform enough to give back to the artists involved in the making and running of this project.
If you believe in what ArtSloth stands for, please share our magazine with friends, family, and fellow art lovers. Recommend artists who deserve a spotlight or suggest our platform to someone who might need it.
Thank you for being a part of the ArtSloth community. Even just your being on the website, reading this blog, means the world.
Happy Painting!
Varnika Kirby
Founder & Curator
Team ArtSloth