Isha Yadav
Current Employer/Organisation Name
Le Seasons
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
I hold a doctorate in Women and Gender Studies from Ambedkar University Delhi. I am a visual-art practitioner, interested in intersections of women’s narratives and cultural violence that reflects in my art, writing and research. I was the first one to introduce art in the slam culture around the world, through Delhi Art Slam, a community created for artists and advocating art in public places. She has co-authored three books. I am also a street artist, has painted several walls across the capital. In 2022, I created a Museum of Rape threats and Sexism, a visual-art installation that speaks about the digital lives of women, for which I was the first Indian to receive Linda Stein Upstander Award for my art project memorializing sexual violence in 2021. A production house in Mumbai created and showcased a documentary on her scholarship, which was released and shown at India Habitat Center in 2024. In 2023, I won the Art Writer’s Award from Take on Art magazine and Pro Helvetia and took a fully funded 60 day residency in Switzerland.
I am currently pivoting into hospitality sector and working on many verticals on women wellness.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
Passion, connection with art, larger landscape to create impact in, aligned with my future, and I get to meet and build community through my work.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
Beautiful campus, interesting range of subjects offered, empathetic faculty, and culture. That year, Exeter was the no. 1 Times Group university.
What did you most enjoy about studying here?
The liberty of choosing my own topics.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
All of the above.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
English studies, teaching experience, and organizing lectures
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Do it!
What are your plans for the future?
I want to build a hospitality empire, a hotel chain, and run them with great vigour and sensitivity.
