Telangana-based self-taught artist with muscular dystrophy makes celeb sketches

Hyderabad-based Swetha Eepuri can’t stroll with out assist, however her celeb pencil sketches journey far and large within the hearts of admirers. Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy — a genetic dysfunction that causes progressive muscle weak spot —Swetha is a self-taught artist whose story is considered one of quiet resilience, making her mark one sketch at a time.

On the primary flooring of her residence in Sahara Estate, Auto Nagar, Swetha sits by her favorite nook with an adjustable desk, sheets of drawing paper, and her wheelchair. Neatly filed beside her is a rising assortment of pencil portraits — actors and actresses from the Telugu movie trade, cricketers, and politicians — every rendered with exceptional precision.

Stress with well being points

A local of Vellanki village in Nalgonda district, Telangana, Swetha as soon as dreamed of changing into a health care provider, however her household was preoccupied together with her well being issues. “I used to be weak as a toddler and suffered frequent falls. We went from hospital to hospital, however nobody might establish the situation,” she remembers.

Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy in 2005, Swetha moved together with her household to Hyderabad for her intermediate schooling, however her well being continued to say no. “Earlier it was frequent falls, however over time the muscle weak spot worsened, affecting my power. Even climbing stairs grew to become tough,” she says.

Tryst with artwork

With a deteriorating situation, doing even fundamental duties grew to become robust and she or he stopped schooling after B Pharmacy. Confined to residence, her life was relegated to a chair and wanted a wheel chair for any mobility. During this tough section, Swetha sketched a lonely lady searching of a window to specific her feelings. “I had no information of artwork, however I sketched to point out how I felt,” she remembers. Sharing the drawing with mates lifted her spirits and gave her a brand new sense of objective. “Even I used to be stunned I might handle a good sketch on my first try,” she provides with a smile.

YouTube quickly grew to become her classroom, serving to her be taught shading, layering, outlining, and dealing with pores and skin tones and lighting. In 2015, she posted her first celeb sketch on X (previously Twitter) — of actor Prabhas in the course of the launch of Baahubali: The Beginning — and the appreciation, even from strangers, was an enormous morale enhance. “I made errors with the eyes and nostril, however the encouragement pushed me to proceed,” she says.

Actors like Manchu Manoj and Sai Dharam Tej later favored her sketches on X, drawing the eye of fan golf equipment and widening her attain. Working solely together with her thumb and forefinger, Swetha makes use of charcoal and graphite for her portraits. She prefers sketching celebrities and infrequently occasions her posts with film releases or milestones — her current sketch for Mahavatar Narasimha drew 700,000 views on X and 207,000 on Instagram.

Through this eight-year journey, her largest assist has been her father, Krishnaiah, a weaver, her mom, Bharathi, a homemaker, and her brother, Ramesh. “I don’t need individuals to pity me or like my artwork due to my limitations. That’s why I by no means put up about my situation. I need my work to talk for me and encourage anybody who doubts their very own skills,” says Swetha goals of opening an artwork faculty sometime.

Her works may be seen on @swethaeepuri on X and Instagram