There’s a special kind of nostalgia tied to childhood memories of playing outside, digging through the soil, and running barefoot across the earth. Sitting in the grass and listening to the soft murmur of the wind felt like being invited to experience the essence of the earth itself.
For Udaipur-based Pooja Rathore (29), those moments of tactile connection with nature continue to inspire her art today. Through ‘Studio The Soil’, she brings the beauty and authenticity of nature’s materials into her creations and into our homes.
Through her work, Pooja seeks to narrow the gap between disconnected modern lives and the earth.
“I travelled a lot when I was growing up, especially across Rajasthan. I frequently saw, and was amazed by, the mud houses that are so common in many villages here. The texture of those walls is almost primordial; it is something that cannot be replicated,” she tells The Better India. “It’s these smells, textures, and feelings that greatly inspire me and form the foundation of my understanding of natural art.”
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Pooja’s began long before she knew it would become her career. “I was pretty sure after school that art is what I wanted to pursue,” she recalls. Growing up in Jaipur, she was surrounded by the city’s artistic heritage. “All the gifts that my father would give me were somehow art-related. I think that might be where it all started,” she smiles.
She formally began studying art in 2013 when she enrolled in the bachelor’s programme in visual arts at IISU, Jaipur. Though she learned a great deal at college, Pooja found that the formal education in art couldn’t answer all her questions.
Her artwork blends abstract texture and natural elements.
Instead, she turned to the internet, where she discovered a wealth of creative resources. YouTube tutorials, online art communities, and artists like David Kassan and Cesar Santos gave her the inspiration she needed to develop her own style.
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Pooja took on portraiture as her specialisation and began doing freelance work as she navigated life as a newlywed in Udaipur. But it was during the COVID lockdown that something within her shifted. “I was making a lot of abstract art with natural hues anyway. I really enjoyed that process, but then I thought why not just use natural materials to make it,” she recalls.
Crafted from natural materials like soil and cow dung, colour composition remains a focal point.
As she began experimenting, Pooja realised she wanted her art to be more than just something to look at — it had to be a connection to the natural world. “I wanted to bring the outside in,” she explains. She became increasingly inspired by the idea of using nature itself in her work — reflecting her childhood experiences growing up in Rajasthan, where she spent time in the fields and mud houses.
Thus, Studio The Soil was born — not just as an art project, but as a way for Pooja to channel her deep connection with nature into her creations. Through this project, she brings the calming, grounding qualities of nature into her art using materials like mud, cow dung, pebbles, flowers, and even flour, to create works that evoke the essence of the earth itself.
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Experimenting with different textures, colours, and compositions brings a unique depth and intrigue to Pooja’s paintings.
Making these works of art is a delicate process. “I start off with basic composition. First I compose the figures, if there are any, and define the lines of the artwork. Then I try to see how that composition can be made using certain natural pigments and materials.” She is careful to balance the colour composition, blending browns, whites, and greens.
Pooja experiments extensively, combining sawdust, corn fibre, henna, and charcoal to find the perfect consistency. “My paintings are a combination of all of these materials,” she notes.
Studio The Soil’s first art piece
One of her favourite projects was the first painting she did for Studio The Soil, which features the word ‘Ram’ written “I hadn’t named the studio yet, but it felt like it was the beginning of something,” she shares.
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Pooja finds her materials in nature, rather than buying them. “I don’t buy anything unless I’m experimenting and want to use certain natural materials that I can’t find in my immediate surroundings. But if anyone wants to do something similar, please just go out and get it,” she advises. For her, the process is as much about reconnecting with nature as it is about creating art.
As much as Pooja loves to work with , they come with their own set of challenges. “Unlike synthetic paints, natural materials don’t hold on to the canvas cloth,” she shares. “There was constantly a lot of trial and error that I had to go through. But I’ve found that certain natural pigments, like henna, really don’t have that problem. So now I know what to use!”
However, cow dung, a recurring material in her works, is also one of the most difficult to work with. “The texture cannot be replicated, but it’s very difficult to work with because of the smell,” she admits. Despite her efforts to replicate the texture using other ingredients like whole wheat flour, she finds it doesn’t quite match the feeling of real cow dung.
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Apart from working on inspired artworks, Pooja also allows her patrons to commission pieces that resonate with their preferences.
Braving these hiccups, her art now reflects the beauty of Rajasthan’s natural world in a way that synthetic materials could never capture.
Sakshi Kalra, a 28-year-old software developer from Indore, discovered Pooja’s work through Instagram. “My mother is an art collector and collects everything she finds interesting, so I grew up around that,” she says.
Albeit simple, these artworks are far from simplistic when experienced within the context of the natural world.
“When we were designing our new home, I wanted to find artwork that would complement its warm, earthy, minimalist aesthetic. The space features soft greens, beige, and mahogany, accented with a few pops of colour; I was looking for something that would bring all of that together. I came across Pooja’s work and once my mother expressed her liking for it, I knew it would be a great addition to our home,” she adds.
Pooja’s connection to nature isn’t just about creating art, it’s also about reminding people what we stand to lose because of all the environmental issues that threaten the world.
“I want the studio to inspire people to just go outside, use their hands,” says Pooja.
“I think it’s incredibly important for people to understand how horrible it is that we are cutting down trees and destroying ecosystems that have existed for years and years. The solution is not to plant more trees, it’s to protect what we have already,” she opines.
“We build bridges, flyovers, and buildings, covering the ground with concrete. When it rains, the water has nowhere to seep into the earth, and then we complain about . Essentially, we’ve created a concrete barrier between ourselves and the soil,” she explains.
“I wanted to bring the outside in,” says Pooja Rathore.
As a new mother, Pooja feels even more strongly about the environmental impact of unsustainable practices. “I would want to leave the world a better place for my child,” she says.
Through her work with Studio The Soil, she hopes to reconnect people with nature — both through art and through mindfulness. “I want the studio to inspire people to just go outside, use their hands, and remind themselves that what we have here is precious. I want them to take an intentional breath,” she remarks.
To purchase Pooja Rathore’s paintings or learn more about her work, you can reach out to her on or via email.
Edited by Pranita Bhat; Image courtesy Pooja Rathore
For Udaipur-based Pooja Rathore (29), those moments of tactile connection with nature continue to inspire her art today. Through ‘Studio The Soil’, she brings the beauty and authenticity of nature’s materials into her creations and into our homes.
Through her work, Pooja seeks to narrow the gap between disconnected modern lives and the earth.
“I travelled a lot when I was growing up, especially across Rajasthan. I frequently saw, and was amazed by, the mud houses that are so common in many villages here. The texture of those walls is almost primordial; it is something that cannot be replicated,” she tells The Better India. “It’s these smells, textures, and feelings that greatly inspire me and form the foundation of my understanding of natural art.”
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Bringing the outside in!
Pooja’s began long before she knew it would become her career. “I was pretty sure after school that art is what I wanted to pursue,” she recalls. Growing up in Jaipur, she was surrounded by the city’s artistic heritage. “All the gifts that my father would give me were somehow art-related. I think that might be where it all started,” she smiles.
She formally began studying art in 2013 when she enrolled in the bachelor’s programme in visual arts at IISU, Jaipur. Though she learned a great deal at college, Pooja found that the formal education in art couldn’t answer all her questions.
Her artwork blends abstract texture and natural elements.
Instead, she turned to the internet, where she discovered a wealth of creative resources. YouTube tutorials, online art communities, and artists like David Kassan and Cesar Santos gave her the inspiration she needed to develop her own style.
Advertisement
Pooja took on portraiture as her specialisation and began doing freelance work as she navigated life as a newlywed in Udaipur. But it was during the COVID lockdown that something within her shifted. “I was making a lot of abstract art with natural hues anyway. I really enjoyed that process, but then I thought why not just use natural materials to make it,” she recalls.
Crafted from natural materials like soil and cow dung, colour composition remains a focal point.
As she began experimenting, Pooja realised she wanted her art to be more than just something to look at — it had to be a connection to the natural world. “I wanted to bring the outside in,” she explains. She became increasingly inspired by the idea of using nature itself in her work — reflecting her childhood experiences growing up in Rajasthan, where she spent time in the fields and mud houses.
Thus, Studio The Soil was born — not just as an art project, but as a way for Pooja to channel her deep connection with nature into her creations. Through this project, she brings the calming, grounding qualities of nature into her art using materials like mud, cow dung, pebbles, flowers, and even flour, to create works that evoke the essence of the earth itself.
Advertisement
Experimenting with different textures, colours, and compositions brings a unique depth and intrigue to Pooja’s paintings.
Making these works of art is a delicate process. “I start off with basic composition. First I compose the figures, if there are any, and define the lines of the artwork. Then I try to see how that composition can be made using certain natural pigments and materials.” She is careful to balance the colour composition, blending browns, whites, and greens.
Pooja experiments extensively, combining sawdust, corn fibre, henna, and charcoal to find the perfect consistency. “My paintings are a combination of all of these materials,” she notes.
Studio The Soil’s first art piece
One of her favourite projects was the first painting she did for Studio The Soil, which features the word ‘Ram’ written “I hadn’t named the studio yet, but it felt like it was the beginning of something,” she shares.
Advertisement
Pooja finds her materials in nature, rather than buying them. “I don’t buy anything unless I’m experimenting and want to use certain natural materials that I can’t find in my immediate surroundings. But if anyone wants to do something similar, please just go out and get it,” she advises. For her, the process is as much about reconnecting with nature as it is about creating art.
The challenges of working with natural materials
As much as Pooja loves to work with , they come with their own set of challenges. “Unlike synthetic paints, natural materials don’t hold on to the canvas cloth,” she shares. “There was constantly a lot of trial and error that I had to go through. But I’ve found that certain natural pigments, like henna, really don’t have that problem. So now I know what to use!”
However, cow dung, a recurring material in her works, is also one of the most difficult to work with. “The texture cannot be replicated, but it’s very difficult to work with because of the smell,” she admits. Despite her efforts to replicate the texture using other ingredients like whole wheat flour, she finds it doesn’t quite match the feeling of real cow dung.
Advertisement
Apart from working on inspired artworks, Pooja also allows her patrons to commission pieces that resonate with their preferences.
Braving these hiccups, her art now reflects the beauty of Rajasthan’s natural world in a way that synthetic materials could never capture.
Sakshi Kalra, a 28-year-old software developer from Indore, discovered Pooja’s work through Instagram. “My mother is an art collector and collects everything she finds interesting, so I grew up around that,” she says.
Albeit simple, these artworks are far from simplistic when experienced within the context of the natural world.
“When we were designing our new home, I wanted to find artwork that would complement its warm, earthy, minimalist aesthetic. The space features soft greens, beige, and mahogany, accented with a few pops of colour; I was looking for something that would bring all of that together. I came across Pooja’s work and once my mother expressed her liking for it, I knew it would be a great addition to our home,” she adds.
Art as a call to protect our ecosystems
Pooja’s connection to nature isn’t just about creating art, it’s also about reminding people what we stand to lose because of all the environmental issues that threaten the world.
“I want the studio to inspire people to just go outside, use their hands,” says Pooja.
“I think it’s incredibly important for people to understand how horrible it is that we are cutting down trees and destroying ecosystems that have existed for years and years. The solution is not to plant more trees, it’s to protect what we have already,” she opines.
“We build bridges, flyovers, and buildings, covering the ground with concrete. When it rains, the water has nowhere to seep into the earth, and then we complain about . Essentially, we’ve created a concrete barrier between ourselves and the soil,” she explains.
“I wanted to bring the outside in,” says Pooja Rathore.
As a new mother, Pooja feels even more strongly about the environmental impact of unsustainable practices. “I would want to leave the world a better place for my child,” she says.
Through her work with Studio The Soil, she hopes to reconnect people with nature — both through art and through mindfulness. “I want the studio to inspire people to just go outside, use their hands, and remind themselves that what we have here is precious. I want them to take an intentional breath,” she remarks.
To purchase Pooja Rathore’s paintings or learn more about her work, you can reach out to her on or via email.
Edited by Pranita Bhat; Image courtesy Pooja Rathore