The Hindu

• Shriya wants to be the first woman to land on Mars

Bangalore, Jun 16: If what she claims is true, the art world is going to hear a lot about her.

Thirteen-year-old Shriya Dinakar is just back from Slovenia after purportedly selling her art work, Who Am I – Who are My People? at the 12th International competition of the World of Art magazine at the Gallery of Young People’s Art Works, Old Castle of Celje, for a whopping 1,37,500 Euros which equals around Rs 77 lac in Indian currency.

She also inaugurated the ceremonial function of the art works gallery on behalf of all the participants. “It was a big honour,” gushes Shriya and adds that she plans to give away 70 per cent of the amount she got for her work to charity.

At a press conference here on Friday, Shriya, who is currently studying at the National Centre for Excellence, and her parents claimed that her painting was among 150 selected works short-listed from the 10,000 received from 40 countries.

She not only wields the brush but also has flown a microlite in Russia, been trained to fly aircrafts in Nepal and has manoeuvred a submarine in the Atlantic Ocean in French waters, among other things.
 
But her ultimate dream is to become an astronaut and become the first woman to step on Mars. “I want to join NASA and become a flight commander. I also wish to invent a low-cost, safe and affordable flying machine for transport to avoid traffic congestions,” says Shriya.