A student at Wadia College, Disha Daga was juggling her degree, diplomas and dance, but art kept pulling her back. (Express photo)Written by Bhagyashri PrajapatiA mandala, derived from the Sanskrit word for “circle”, is an intricate arrangement of patterns radiating from a central point, traditionally representing the universe. For 26-year-old Pune artist Disha Daga, however, it is more than geometry on paper or walls. It is a talent that seamlessly straddles art and business.Daga’s mandala designs have found clients such as a consumer electronics brand, a global car manufacturer, an investment firm and Vantara, the expansive wildlife centre in Jamnagar.“My recent government commission was a large painting at the Reserve Bank of India’s Pune office, visible near the entrance. The mandala designs have also travelled to Malaysia, Thailand and the US, while the online and offline workshops have reached more than 25,000 students,” says Daga.Art is said to be fickle in its rewards. While many Indian artists break auction records, the majority struggle to make ends meet. Daga’s earnings have grown alongside her work.“It is a practice of patience, precision and mindfulness, one that has transformed my life without my having ever studied art,” she says. Flip open one of Daga’s old accounts notebooks and the front pages hold ledgers. Turn it around, and the back pages are filled with mandalas.Working under the name Disha Draws, Daga began sketching these patterns in 2016, after school and before college. Looking for a hobby other than dance, she drew inspiration from mehendi designs on Pinterest. She had no idea what the intricate circular patterns were called until a Google search introduced her to mandalas.Story continues below this ad Disha Daga believes artists must understand the basics of business, even when they hire professionals to help. (Express photo)A student at Wadia College, she was juggling her degree, diplomas and dance, but art kept pulling her back. “It makes you patient,” she says. Each layer demanded concentration, gradually teaching her to slow down and find calm in the process.The turning point came in 2020. With colleges shut and events cancelled during the pandemic, she grew tired of working on paper and painted a mandala on her own wall. She posted it online, and strangers began asking her to create artwork for them. In August 2021, she received her first commercial project. She had never planned a career in art. “I was chosen as a medium at that time,” she says.Today, Daga has 42,000 Instagram followers. “Building an independent art practice comes with financial uncertainty. Income depends on commissions, exhibitions, workshops and reaching potential clients, making quieter periods difficult to navigate,” she says.Marketing, client communication, negotiations and project management compete with the time required to create. She believes artists must understand the basics of business, even when they hire professionals to help. Art, she says, should be treated as a profession deserving fair compensation and financial security, not merely a passion.Story continues below this adSuccess has also taught her when to pause. During an artist’s block, she declines commissions if she cannot deliver the quality expected. She dances for herself, takes herself out for coffee with her iPad or watches something light. “Your work is not your life,” she says.Daga hopes to challenge the belief that success lies only in academic achievements and conventional careers. For young people choosing familiar paths because they seem safer, her advice is to build their own, even when the journey feels uncertain.(Bhagyashri Prajapati is an intern with The Indian Express)