Quitting her stable job at the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Shakkeela Manoj transitioned to art attracted by its therapeutic benefits. Teaching Kerala Mural Art and other traditional folk art forms, she inspires students to appreciate and spread India's rich artistic heritage. She has represented her art at Cholamandal Artists' Village in Chennai and has conducted many workshops and classes.

Shakkeela Manoj is a Kerala Traditional Mural Artist and the owner of her institute, Nakshatra Arts in Thiruvananthapuram. She usually works with acrylic paints. She is also an art teacher, instructing students of all ages, from children to adults, with a focus on the folk arts of India.

She has Instagram and Facebook pages named Nakshatra Arts, where students can connect with her.

Shakkeela shares that with kids, she starts with Warli paintings as it is easier to learn. She aims to teach children about traditional folk arts because they embody the culture of our country. When her students start creating Warli art on their own, she then teaches them Madhubani.

Artist Shakkeela Manoj believes that India has a rich tradition of art and many folk arts are still unexplored. India has more than 30 types of folk arts, she claims. She aims to introduce these to children so they can learn about India's rich traditions and spread this knowledge to others. This will also help them recognize these art forms if they see them on fabric, clothing and murals, making them feel proud.

Talking about how she entered the field of art, she says it happened by accident. She started learning Kerala Mural Art in Chennai from her guru. There, she met many other artists who were into mythological art forms. Inspired by this, she decided to tell mythological stories through her art, which she has been pursuing ever since.

Shakkeela Manoj grew up in Thiruvananthapuram and graduated from Mar Ivanios College. She completed her post-graduation in Geology from Madras Christian College. Although she did not have an art background and was working at the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), she later resigned and pursued art, which has given her immense satisfaction. Now, even one day without art feels like a waste to her. She describes her journey into art as completely unplanned.

Recalling her childhood, she remembers doing drawing since she was four years old. Her grandfather, also an art enthusiast, would give her charcoal to draw on a wall. She would draw all day, and the next day her grandfather would wash the wall for her to draw again.

When asked about her role models, Shakkeela mentions her mentor, Keshav, who has been doing Krishna paintings for many years and has been a significant source of motivation. He used to tell her to “keep practicing and have patience,” which has inspired her throughout her art journey.

She finds inspiration in the quotes, “Time is precious, don't waste it,” and “Hard work is irreplaceable, so keep on practicing and working hard.”

Discussing her hardships, she says that art as a career is challenging. Although she was always good at academics and had a stable job in a central government department, she faced issues conceiving and decided to let go of her job to do something relaxing. Not wanting to be idle, she pursued art. She learned Kerala Mural Art and continued drawing and painting. Even during the lockdown, she practiced art and realized its therapeutic effects.

She is also an art therapy practitioner and conducts workshops about the subject. She represented her art solo at Cholamandal Artists' Village in Chennai and has conducted many workshops and classes. She feels the satisfaction gained from pursuing art is her greatest achievement. She says that she makes her students aware of art's relaxing effects, and it makes her happy when they tell her they feel relaxed and stress-free after her classes. She has helped individuals who could not sleep at night due to stress, through her art.

Advising aspiring artists, she says they should have patience, be dedicated to art, and keep working on it without expecting immediate results.

Addressing young Indians, she emphasizes the rich tradition and culture of our country and advises them to study about our culture and art, as they teach us a way of living. She urges them to focus on reviving extinct art forms.