Today we’d like to introduce you to Anar Joshi.
Hi Anar, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When I first started LOTA, I wasn’t sure what I was building. I just knew I wanted to share the work of artists and designers who moved me, creatives who were shaped by their heritage but weren’t defined by it. The early Instagram posts which kicked off the idea were simply stories and images I loved: art, fashion, architecture, design. Each one held layers of meaning I wanted to keep unraveling, so I kept going.
Fast forward three years, and today LOTA is an art advisory and platform that supports emerging artists and connects people with artwork that resonates. It exists to widen the canon of who gets seen, supported, and collected, especially in a world where culture is being flattened by algorithms and hype cycles.
Before LOTA, I worked across big corporations and startups working on everything from creating ad campaigns, building apps, and launching social impact ventures. All of it helped shape the way I think about storytelling, design, and scale. But it wasn’t until LOTA that I felt fully aligned. This is my first time building something on my own. It’s been a winding, expansive, deeply personal journey that I couldn’t imagine not doing.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The art world is notoriously opaque, and the advisory space often feels reserved for the elite. Even the word “collector” can make the work feel out of reach. But that’s exactly why I wanted LOTA to exist.
One of the hardest parts of building LOTA has been rewriting that script. I set out to create an experience that feels generous, warm, and approachable, without sacrificing curatorial rigor or artistic depth.
That meant starting from scratch. Building trust with artists. Educating myself from curiosity to obsession and in turn, passing that love on to clients who were new to collecting. I wear every hat including curation, strategy, tech, operations, and communications which has been been, and still is, a ton of invisible labor.
There are times I question whether it is worth it. Times when momentum feels slow, or I feel pressure to return to a “safer” job in tech. But what’s keeps me going is my passion for what I’m building and why exist. As a culture, we’ve optimized everything, our tastes, our stories, even our homes, until they feel flat. Art is one of the few things that still invites mystery, memory, and meaning. And that keeps going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
LOTA is an art advisory and curatorial studio that helps individuals, designers, and collectors discover and acquire art that tells a deeper story. We specialize in emerging artists across mediums, artists shaped by personal history and actively reimagining what that looks like today.
Our offerings range from one-on-one sessions to digital style guides to full-service art curation for your home or office. We also recently launched a style quiz that helps users uncover their art preferences and get matched with artists aligned to their aesthetic and emotional values.
LOTA is about building a relationship with art that reflects who you are. It’s about cultural memory, self-expression, and making space for underrepresented voices. We work with everyone from first-time buyers to seasoned designers and collector to help them find art they love, whether that’s prints or fine art, while supporting artists who deserve to be seen.
We’ve curated exhibitions like Re/Orient at The Friday Gallery in LA, advised clients across the country, and worked closely with artists to support and grow their careers. What sets LOTA apart is our belief that art can be both deeply personal and a powerful force for cultural transformation.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
The artists I’ve worked with have been the heart of this journey. Their trust, generosity, and creative courage have deeply influenced how I work and what I build.
I’m especially grateful to early clients such as Ragni Agarwal, whom I managed and collaborated with on Kitty Party, an absolute highlight, along with collectors and galleries like Friday Gallery, who said yes before I had a polished offering or a formal process. Their belief in what I was creating gave me the confidence to keep going.
And of course, none of this would be possible without the friends and family who’ve been in it with me from the start. From late-night brainstorms to showing up at art parties and passing out my card—they’ve been there every step of the way.
My husband is the first to support, question, and push me. He takes my work seriously and reminds me to do the same. My kids are why I do this, so they grow up seeing their stories reflected in art, and know that where they come from and the journey they are on is something to celebrate. And my own parents is where it all began. Their love of travel, style, and storytelling is woven into everything I do.
I’m still in the early days, so I’ll spare the full acceptance speech, but these people continue to push and pull me through. And with their support, I’m just getting started.
Pricing:
- Style Discovery Guide ($99): A personalized digital guide based on your aesthetic and emotional preferences. Includes artist matches, a visual moodboard, and tips for sourcing artwork that aligns with your style and space.
- Personal Art Strategy Session ($250): A one-on-one consultation to dive deeper into your space, budget, and goals. You’ll walk away with tailored advice, sourcing suggestions, and a clearer direction for building your collection.
- Custom Curation (Starting at $1,000): Full-service support to source one or more artworks for your space—including artist outreach, framing guidance, and end-to-end support. Any investment in the earlier services is credited toward this package.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lotagoods.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lota_goods
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lotagoods
- Other: https://lota.substack.com/
Image Credits
Mercedes Zapata
The Friday Gallery
