Born with a passion for art, Manali turned her childhood love into a successful career. Overcoming challenges and changes, she now inspires others through her art classes.

Manali Bhavdip Dave, a talented artist hailing from Gandhinagar, Gujarat, has been passionately involved in the field of art for the past twelve years. She runs art classes specifically catering to children and women.

Manali says that her artistic journey began ten years back as a teacher in a school, but she eventually decided to establish her own center in Chennai and in Gujarat Reliance. For the past three years, she has been conducting art classes for children from around the globe, with participants joining her workshops through the Zoom platform. Kids from countries like the USA, Canada, and Africa have joined her sessions. Currently, Manali is settled in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and has expanded her reach by offering offline art classes in several schools and colleges. She also takes offline classes in her own center at Gandhinagar.

During her childhood, Manali attended a convent school in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. She regularly attended art classes until her tenth grade and actively participated in numerous drawing competitions and workshops. Following her schooling, she enrolled in CN College of Fine Arts in Ahmedabad to pursue a five-year course in art.

Manali's interest in art flourished at a young age. She says that when she was only four years old, she won the second prize in a national drawing competition. Throughout her school years, she continued to excel in art and accumulated fifty-six certificates for winning first place in various competitions. It was during this period that her father recognized her talent and decided to encourage her to pursue a career in art. She is immensely grateful to her father for choosing this path for her.

Reflecting on her challenges, Manali shares that being a woman, she had to frequently adapt to new surroundings. For instance, when she got married, she had eighty-eight students at her own center, but upon relocating, she had to start from scratch with just one student. She had to undergo many changes in locations throughout her journey. However, she states that her struggle has now come to an end, as she can reach and teach a broader audience through online platforms like Zoom.

Manali advises women to pursue their skills, no matter how small, because the possibilities for artists are limitless. She believes that if you have even a slight inclination towards a particular skill, you should wholeheartedly embrace it.

One of Manali's notable achievements is receiving sponsorships from the Lalit Kala Academy in Gujarat. She highlights that there is no better sponsorship available in India than that from the Lalit Kala Academy. With their support, she had the opportunity to exhibit her paintings in London, showcasing a total of thirty paintings. Additionally, she received another sponsorship from Lalit Kala Mandal, which allowed her to showcase her art in Mumbai.

Manali considers her father as her role model, and she has learned from him that while we cannot control others, we have control over our own actions and decisions. Her father played a crucial role in selecting art as her career path.

To find mental peace, Manali finds solace in teaching her students. When her art classes begin, she forgets about her own problems and feels a sense of peace. In addition to teaching, she engages in painting and various other art forms.

Manali’s life mantra can be summed up in a single sentence: "Do it now." She believes in taking action promptly and not delaying or hesitating when pursuing one's goals and dreams.

For anyone aspiring to enter the field of art, Manali suggests that once they reach the sixth or seventh standard, they should aim to complete their elementary and intermediate exams. They must choose drawing as a subject in their tenth class, as it is a requirement for admission in any fine arts college.