Vishal Tamrakar is the owner of The Art & Craft Kingdom in Bhopal. He teaches art and craft to the needy and budding artists for free. Passionate about art from a young age, he overcame doubts and honed his skills with family support and professional guidance. He aspires to open a free art institution to help aspiring artists achieve national and global recognition.

Vishal Tamrakar is the owner of an art workshop called the Art & Craft Kingdom. He also teaches arts and crafts for free to those who are willing.

Born and brought up in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Vishal completed his entire studies, including a BSc degree, from here itself. Currently, he is living in Bhopal, where he owns his art workshop, ‘The Art & Craft Kingdom.’

Growing up, he was a promising artist. Upon noticing his artistic talent, his father got him professionally coached in the craft, which further upskilled him. He usually liked to participate and showcase his art at the Navratri and Ganesh Chaturthi festivals. His family also supported him in his art, and gradually he started working as a professional to open his workshop in Bhopal today.

Artist Vishal shares that he started learning his art in Tikamgarh itself. Many of his friends motivated him for this profession and advised him to earn good money by selling his art or teaching other students as well. Hence, in the evenings, he used to devote a couple of hours every day to teaching art to students, but for free. This improved his skills, and the students were also able to clear their basics.

Since childhood, Vishal had always wondered whether he could thrive in a city like Bhopal, but his skills ultimately paved the way. During his school days, his classmates would often ask him to complete their drawing assignments. At the age of 10, he began experimenting with crafts as well. With a bamboo tree in his field, he started crafting with bamboo. Vishal even learned how to promote a brand using a simple bamboo stick. At a family function, his uncle requested that he create art on a bamboo stick as a gift for his aunt. Using tools available at home, Vishal engraved her picture on the bamboo stick. This was his first piece of art, which he gifted to his uncle, and it gave him the confidence to pursue a career in the field of art.

Now, with continuous practice, he has started engraving photos of various people on any wooden piece. Later, he worked on his skills with the help of Hasth Kala Vikas Nigam in MP. Despite being a college student, Vishal had now started teaching art and craft in different schools as an art teacher. In childhood, Tamrakar made crafts from paper, like caricatures, wooden and paper gift boxes, etc.

Talking about Tikamgarh, Vishal says that it is the city of art where one can find various talented artists. The street art from this place is very famous, like ceramic artwork and brass art. In fact, the idols made in Tikamgarh are world-renowned. Hence, he is working on upgrading his art skills now.

Sharing his COVID experience, Vishal says that during the lockdown period, he took a risky journey from Bhopal to Tikamgarh to be with his family. With the help of the government and other people, he reached home safely in Tikamgarh. He was able to meet his childhood friends and enjoy time with his family. He also taught the Adivasi community and other students in the rural areas near his fields how they could enhance their traditional crafts and earn even more. Alongside, he advised the existing artists in the village to upgrade their art instruments and customise their products. All this was done with social distancing methods and taking all the precautions for the pandemic.

Whenever Vishal has free time, he spends it pencil sketching and teaching arts and crafts to young kids. He also shares that his life's goal is to open an art institution where he can provide free formal arts and crafts training to needy, budding artists. He aims to guide these artists in monetizing their art and showcasing it on national and global platforms.

Advising aspiring artists, Vishal says that to build a career in the art field, you should pursue it without any doubt, as this profession offers not only financial rewards but also respect. He adds that if you excel in painting, sketching, portraits, or any craft work, then art is a promising field for a successful career.