Today we’d like to introduce you to Urvashi Lele.
Urvashi, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It all started back in 2010 when I left home at the age of 18 to pursue my studies in Art and Design. Born in Mumbai, India, I was fortunate enough to have extremely supportive and encouraging parents who placed no pressure on me in terms of what they thought was appropriate to do with my life.
I left India when I got into The University for the Creative Arts in Rochester in the United Kingdom. Fast forward to after the completion of my undergrad where I was in love for the first time and looking for a job to stay in the U.K.. I landed a job at a small but successful animation studio in Brighton called Cutlass Productions LTD. I was fortunate to be trusted with important artistic tasks early on for the company, which gave me a lot of hands on experience with different productions.
These were some of the most enlightening years of my life. I had a fun job, a loving partner and lived in the most colourful city in the country. But something was missing. I couldn’t help but think that there was more out there for me – this couldn’t be it.
So, after a lot of deliberation, I decided to apply to a Masters program in Los Angeles. I got accepted into the Animation program at UCLA. It was time for me to go to Hollywood.
This came with its own set of struggles – America was a lot different. I never had a culture shock moving from India to the UK but I most certainly felt something when I moved to the US. It was a challenging journey, but it has certainly changed me for good.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing good ever is without struggle, I reckon. There’s a gender bias that exists in the animation industry (It is, of course, changing slowly, but it is still present) where I’ve had bosses make inappropriate comment and people assuming I like certain things purely based on my gender identity.
Some of the other challenges have been building a name for myself in the industry. I was fortunate to receive recognition for my work that helped me gain respect in the industry. In 2014, I was honored with a New Designers Screening Associate Prize, which gained me attention in the field, and also gave me confidence in my skills.
Please tell us about Sir Pea Green Studios.
Established in 2014, Sir Pea Green Studios was named after a film that I created . An
Interview with The Owl and The Pussycat was based on the Edward Lear poem, “The Owl and The Pussycat” where the two characters elope on a pea green boat. With my
love for character design, I created a character which became the mascot for my design studio – Sir Pea Green.
My main areas of specialism are 2D Animation and Character Design. I generally work with many different clients who never have the same brief – one of the addictive pleasures of the job.
I definitely take pride in having the honour and privilege of working with so many different minds from all over the world. I firmly believe that the ability of a designer to be an excellent collaborator is the biggest asset in their arsenal.
In terms of what sets me apart from the others; I have a varied set of skills. Besides the digital artwork which is my primary source of income, I also create pieces in fiber and traditional art.
Clients have come to me with projects involving embroidery and dressmaking.
I think that the ability to create something unique by using a variety of media is something that I find extremely fulfilling and I would like to think it is what sets me apart.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
This one is perhaps a bit odd as it is so simple. It is the first time my mother took me to watch a film at the cinema. I could not have been more than three or four years old and it was for a matinee screening of Disney’s The Lion King. The theatre (which later went out of business due to the rise of the multiplexes) was a beautiful Art Deco location in a hidden corner of Mumbai city.
This film remains my favourite to this day and I think it is what started my obsession with animation in the first place.
I don’t remember too much except that I asked my mother if lions could really talk like that and all she said was, “If you draw them like that, they can”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sirpeagreenstudios.com
- Instagram: @sirpeagreen
Image Credit:
Lydia Caplan, Urvashi Lele
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