Meet Rasa Ahly, a Sydney-based artist who captures the essence of entrepreneurial spirit and journey in her paintings.

A startup founder’s journey is layered like an onion. What we see from the outside is the success or failure of a company, but Ahly paints everything in between.

From emotions to challenges, to thoughts and feelings, she has tried to capture it all after the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) startup community in November 2022.

Ahly owned a small business years ago and says she is quite passionate about the industry.

“I’m also passionate about the imagination, color and creativity of art,” she said.

“It seems that few, if any, other artists have captured the entrepreneurial spirit, so I’d like to combine my two greatest passions.”

Ahly believes that art is the best way to represent life.

“The life and many paths and journeys of an entrepreneur have so many layers/colors/textures that I’ve never seen before from an artist,” she said.

Ahly sees her art as an opportunity to show the entrepreneurial spirit to a wider audience, to better appreciate and understand this world and its challenges.

She hopes to help people, including the next generation, understand what it’s like to see ideas grow and what it takes to turn those ideas into reality.

“I’ve had many wonderful moments, but my favorite was my exhibition called ‘Entrepreneurial Journey’ in November 2022 at UTS Startups,” said Ahly.

Ahly used her paintings to vividly depict the intricate and often complex corporate journey, showcasing its true depth to a diverse audience of both business and non-business individuals throughout the exhibition.

Edge of desert

Edge of desert
You are through the desert.
You’ve got a grip.
You have arrived.
Drink in the joy of success.

Ahly paints the feeling of reaching the end of building a startup, like dragging yourself through a dry hot desert enjoying the feeling of reaching the edge.

gap

gap
A once dull vision shifts to a fracture, exposing a universe of ideas and opportunities.

With this painting, Ahly tries to capture the transition from a vague idea to a powerful movement.

8 Dresses

8 Dresses
design after design,
style after style…
perseverance towards perfection and success

Ahly beautifully captures the countless attempts to arrive at a perfect design, idea, vision, whatever it may be. We know that entrepreneurs almost never get it right on the first try.

Forest fire

Forest fire
From idea to success…
You will be able to handle the heat.

This painting depicts the flames fueling the fire of founders. It’s no easy feat building a startup; only those who can stand the heat succeed.

When

When
When will my ideas take shape.
When will my path be clear.

At one time or another, every founder feels lost, confused, hopeless, and perhaps defeated in their journey. This painting is an attempt to capture the emotion of ‘when’.

Paths

Paths
Create and follow our own path to success. Different signposts along the way for each of us.

Here Ahly beautifully shows how everyone has their own path to success; we are all unique, and so should our paths to success.

oases

oases
When a desert of thoughts turns into multiple oases of ideas.

Ahly paints the moment when an enterprising mind without ideas suddenly overflows.

Magic blue

Magic blue
Every now and then a bold idea stands out above the others.

Here Ahly showed how occasionally it is a bold idea that stands out from others, such as the “magic blue” in this painting, that draws all eyes to it.

warriors

warriors
A dusty vision, headwind, missteps…
mere obstacles to success, but worthy challenges.

Aptly titled ‘Warriors’, this captivating painting depicts an entrepreneur’s struggles – emotional, physical, mental and economic, each hurdle overcome is a reward in the making.

Subway

Subway
Busy, chaotic life in the metro city. Ideas, dreams and desires… everyone strives to achieve them

This one is my personal favourite. When you zoom in you see train windows with seats and people. Ahly’s paintings can be interpreted in a million different ways. I think of it as everyone on the same train journey, just different seats. Some of us are right by the window, some in the back, and some are standing through it.

Bridge

Bridge
Idea after idea, pivot after pivot, I built my bridge to success.

Here Ahly shows the tumultuous task of building the bridge to success. It is never just one bridge, but rather several, some built with achievements and others with failures, all merging into one great bridge to success.

And with the ‘bridge’ we have come to the end of the virtual exhibition.

Ahly says her biggest challenge with her art is to create a platform for the entrepreneurial industry to gain greater understanding and appreciation for what it means to be an entrepreneur with all the highs and lows, patience and effort, focus and determination. necessary for any success.