Here at SimplyPayMe App we like to shine a light on our amazing merchants. We recently had the chance to have a chat with Deepa Mann-Kler about how she pursued her career as a multi-disciplinary artist.
Hi! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?
“Of course! My name is Deepa and I work as a full-time artist. I work with paintings, drawings, photography, and primarily with the creation of neon light installations. I create artwork that aims to connect with society and represent cases that I am passionate about. An important factor for me is showcasing my work in public places, making it accessible for everyone”
Sounds very cool! When did you discover you had a passion for art?
“I`ve loved it for as long as I can remember! It started with a love for drawing, where I would copy drawings from comic books as a child! I would collect magazines and do black and white drawings. I would draw Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. I also had a growing love for photography and won the Olympus & Daily Mirror Young Photographer of the Year in 1984. I won £2000 worth of camera equipment, that was a huge deal for me!”
Wow, congratulations! When did you begin to pursue your passion?
“I chose an academic route, worrying that an artistic route would be too risky. However, if you love something it comes back to you! I was bored with the work I was doing, so in 2007 I decided to just go for it! In addition, it has allowed me to spend a lot of time with my kids, which is very important to me! From there I got a lot of exciting opportunities. A big one was exhibiting my neon dogs light installation as part of Lumiere London in 2016.”
Sounds like you’ve had an amazing career so far! What does the future look like?
“I just want to keep building up what I`m doing! I`ll deal with things as they come, but the most important part is that I keep enjoying what I do. If I don’t enjoy being artistic anymore, I`ll stop! It is also important that I keep challenging myself and continue to grow on both a business and personal level”
Have you noticed any big differences in being an artist today compared to when you first started out?
“Technology has of course made a great difference! Especially for me in terms of light installations. There is so much more you can do! Social media has been a total gamechanger, allowing us artists to share our artwork globally for free! That being said, one of my favourite things to do is meeting people and talk to them about my work!”
Has SimplyPayMe app been a helpful tool for growing your business?
“SimplyPayMe has been absolutely great! I used SumUp previously but was not happy with it. Changing to SimplyPayMe was a great decision, and the feedback I get from customers has been so positive! I love how flexible it is, and how easy it is to use. I also love that I have everything on my phone, meaning I don`t have to remember anything else!
In Summary
We highly appreciate Deepa taking time out of her busy schedule to chat with us! Hearing about her passion for her work really inspired us. Take a look at her work and judge for yourself by visiting her website here!
