The journey began with a bold pivot. On December 24, 2022, Calcutta Times featured Sharmishtha in its Brand Icons section, showcasing her transition from a two-decade career in banking to founding a multi-disciplinary art and lifestyle studio. From bun pins to handcrafted furniture, Studio Red Ochre now inhabits a creative niche in Kolkata’s Southern Avenue. The article also captured her moment of recognition—receiving an award from actor Jimmy Shergill.
‘Equilibrium’ and Its Ripples:
BengalVarta – Equilibrium feature (Jan 2023)
Zee 24 Portal – Post-exhibition review (Feb 2023)
Channel 10 – Exhibition coverage video
Indian Express – Equilibrium Highlights (Feb 2023)
Aaj Tak Bangla – Swastika in Studio Red Ochre (Feb 2023)
The narrative gained momentum with ‘Equilibrium’, an evocative solo exhibition held at Abanindranath Gallery, ICCR, and inaugurated by acclaimed Bengali actor Swastika Mukherjee. The show was covered by multiple media outlets, starting with BengalVarta.com on January 28, 2023, which painted a rich portrait of Sharmishtha’s evolution—from a charcoal-holding five-year-old to a botanist, banker, and finally, a creator.
The article captured her soul’s compass: Indian tribal art. Her personal travels—whether encountering a raw iron globe in Kashmir or a brass mermaid in Pondicherry—fuel the layered textures of her work. Swastika, too, mentioned how Studio Red Ochre supported folk artisans during the pandemic and how each collection brings a sweetly rooted uniqueness.
The exhibition’s aftermath was documented by Zee 24 Ghonta Portal on February 18, which celebrated its success and highlighted the studio’s intimate ties with natural forms and storytelling. Channel 10, a regional news outlet, also aired live coverage, offering an inside look at the space and its creations.
On February 14, 2023, Studio Red Ochre found its way into the wardrobe of Swastika Mukherjee once again—this time on Aaj Tak Bangla, where she appeared in a full Red Ochre ensemble for a feature on her own career. Saree, blouse, jewelry—every detail by Red Ochre, organically showcasing the label’s cultural seep.
From Chaos to Sanity: UMA Awards – Dubai recognition
Recognition didn’t remain just local. At the UMA Awards in Dubai, Sharmishtha was selected as one of the Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs. In her moving acceptance speech, she described her journey as “from chaos to sanity,” crediting her time in banking for shaping her vision and leadership in creative enterprise. More than the award, it was the sense of joining a global, self-assured community of women that gave the moment its lasting resonance.
A Grand New Address: The Telegraph – Studio Red Ochre’s New Address (May 2025)
The most striking media milestone arrived recently with a full-length feature in The Telegraph, published on May 12, 2025, titled “Studio Red Ochre’s New Address is Expansive, Vintage and Artsy”. The detailed online article marked the studio’s relocation and evolution. Showcasing vivid photographs, it offered readers an intimate tour of every curated corner—jewelry, handcrafted furniture, curated clothing lines, and textile pieces that carry Sharmishtha’s own painted stories on modal silk, tussar, and mulberry.
For the first time, a media outlet did such a sincere justice to the brand’s five-year journey, honoring its raw elegance, detailed craftsmanship, and Sharmishtha’s personal growth. The feature underscores Studio Red Ochre’s expanding presence, as a brand and as an evolving space for art, collaboration, and community.
The Dropout Banker : Femina Reader Service
Femina featured Sharmistha Roy Chowdhury, the “dropout banker,” in its Femina Reader Service section titled Turning Dreams into Reality highlighting how, after twenty years in the banking sector, Chowdhury stepped away to follow her passion for folk art. She founded Red Ochre, a Kolkata-based niche brand that blends tribal art with contemporary textile design. Named after an ancient pigment used in cave paintings, Red Ochre holds a promise to carry forward indigenous stories through fabric. “I dream of participating in global art markets and journaling my art travels,” she told Femina.
