Hong Kong-based 'art-ivist' draws on her history to drive change

Sravya Attaluri—who was born in India, grew up in Hong Kong and Korea and went to school at USC—has drawn herself into a career where she can, in her words, "uplift people with art about mental health, mindfulness and feminism".

As creative director for London-based organisation Our Streets Now, Attaluri recently worked on 'Crime not compliment', a high-profile campaign that called for legislation to combat public sexual harassment.

Though she's based in Hong Kong, Attaluri also serves as creative director with Sesh, a San Francisco startup working on online group support in the mental health space. She posts daily illustrations on her own Instagram, and has started Hello Colour, an online shop that "promotes mental wellbeing through its honest and vibrant products that make taking care and talking about mental health less scary and more fun". Earlier in her career she spent time with BCW Global and The Hoffman Agency in Hong Kong. 

"Being third-cultured and (somewhat) bi-lingual, I often struggle to verbally communicate myself to different groups of people," Attaluri tells Campaign Asia-Pacific. "Miscommunication is so common and often the source of so many issues. Learning graphic design made me realize how visual communication allows me to surpass these language barriers and express myself to a global audience. I believe art has the power to be used as a universal language and my intent is to use these creative forms to unite, educate and empower others to create a positive social impact."

On her own website, Attaluri states that she has used art to visualize her life experiences, including grief, depression, journey to mindfulness, and pursuit of happiness. "The outcome was not only powerful and moving, but also resonated with many others," she says. "This made me realize the power and impact that good design and illustration can have on society. I want to work with like-minded individuals and brands to impact communities through illustration and graphic design." 

'Crime not compliment' campaign (click to enlarge)
 

Selection of recent illustrations posted on Instagram (click to enlarge)

 

Work from a campaign for The Lowdown NZ through FCB New Zealand (click to enlarge)

 

Sravya Attaluri
 

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