I was always scribbling letters and doodles all over black boards, the floor, the walls, myself and everywhere else…
Tell us about your journey from discovering your craft to acquiring the skill you have now.
I hail from a family of teachers and lecturers. So I was always scribbling letters and doodles all over black boards, the floor, the walls, myself and everywhere else with chalks and often paints…Won a few art competitions when I was young and that propelled me to keep creating. Growing up in small town India with little awareness and lesser guidance, I had no clue how I’d reach there, but around the age of 10 all I wanted was to draw anime characters professionally. I applied to College of Art, New Delhi after school, got in and began pursuing a BFA in Applied Arts. There, my interest drifted towards Illustration and Communication Design.
After dealing with various demands from clients and/or bosses, what’s that one experience that you learned the most from?
I’d say it’s been a collection of experiences rather. From learning to say no to dealing with payments. One marketing agency in particular shortlisted me from a pool of some 60 candidates and wanted me to work on fast “viral content” for a “good pay”. I tried reasoning with them about the importance of originality, design thinking and strategy building but it was in vain. So I chose to walk out instead.
Whose work, as a designer, do you admire the most in the world? What do you appreciate about their work?
Quite a few people. Stefan Sagmeister especially for his design philosophies and unorthodox approaches.
What do people not realize about your work/area of expertise?
Bad, cringe-worthy design is everywhere. I see a lot of marketing agencies and startups using hackneyed and poorly thought out content for quick results which never really do well. They don’t seem to realise how Communication Design has the power to both inform and delight. It can educate, change perceptions, evoke emotions, trigger conversations and affect psychologies. But that’s only the surface because Communication Design also touches and impacts on the subjects of human life, culture, technology, sustainability et al.
Which project of yours are you particularly proud of? Could you tell us a little more about it?
This is alchemy. It’s a series of abstract illustrations with often macabre and surrealistic themes. Quite a lot of symbolism in the works is intentional but I don’t like to dictate the imagery that unfurls from the subconscious. This way, it stays raw and allows for surprising and intriguing narratives to unfold. It’s like a stream of visual consciousness or music to the eyes. I methodically tweak parts of the artworks as they evolves in my head but leave the rest for the viewer’s imagination without feeling the need to micromanage every aspect of it.
Give us a piece of advice that really helps you with your own workflow.
Uncluttering my workspace or surroundings help me think better. I get more productive.
What are you working on now?
I’ve been working on an illustrative zine about my tryst with ADD.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
Starting and running my Communication Design firm/studio which would also indulge in human focussed design. Like the amazing Taxi Fabric project.
Have you tried out a completely different creative field? How did that turn out?
I do occasional creative writing. Not as much as I’d like to though.
If you had to start afresh in the industry today, what path would you choose?
I’m still pretty young and at a nascent stage of where I want to be. I’m not sure yet about which path I would have chosen. Right now, I know there is always more to learn, experiment, explore and evolve into. Both as a designer and an artist.
If you could claim that any one person’s work in the world was yours, whose would it be?
Alex Trochut’s mad, mad typography skills.
Now that you’re getting a firm foothold in the creative world, what would you like to say to ‘all the haters’?
Oh, haha. I’d rather focus on creating better works and let that burn them. Whoosh!
Favourite font?
Harriet Series, Baskerville
Favourite movie?
Too many to condense down to one.
A book everybody should read?
It’s a broad question so same goes for this.
Your quick tip to all Designers/illustrators?
Put your personality in your works and not what you think that others expect of you. That’s the key to originality.
What’s the best project you’ve seen on IndieFolio?
Could you make something exclusive for us in the next 5 minutes?
I had a matchbox at hand along with my drawing tablet so this is what I’ve come up with.
This design is a ‘match’ made in heaven. Thank you, Abhay, for this. We love it.
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