Add to Cart

Abhay Sehgal, driven by a profound interest in both Mughal history and anime, seamlessly merges these two worlds to create captivating art. His exhibition, Add to Cart, hosted at Method Kala Ghoda on view till December 30, 2023, serves as an invitation for viewers to ponder on the impact of brands on our identities and our responses to them. After pursuing Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Art Institute of Chicago, during the pandemic, began expressing in the a form of a visual diary. And that was the starting point in his journey. He looks at the intricate dynamic of how social media and brands shapes our desires. Abhay transforms his collection of paintings into a narrative, aiming to tell various short stories through his vivid and thought-provoking artwork. He shares his journey and creative process with us in this conversation.

Art on Consumer Culture

I was always keen on surrealism. And I was in Miami, where I used to work as an archivist. There, I saw that people are very influenced by pop art, which made me very curious on why does this happen and how does this happen. How does this hype culture get the market running and why does it do it? So as an experiment in one of my pieces, I just put a Dior brand on the ladies' bag, just to see how the people would react. And surprisingly the reaction was three or four times more than what a normal artist would do on social media; it made me relealise that brand recognition really makes a difference irrespective of what your concept is. I kept on repeating the cycle just to see how it goes. And I started to realize that my concept was getting better. People gave it more thought. I think that this genre of pop art and surrealism is the ideal way of depicting my art and on top of it, I think it's very interesting to explore like why people tend to behave a certain way.

Creative Process

I like to commence my day by jotting down thoughts in a diary, akin to a personal journal. I have a keen interest in observing things, and when it comes to capturing certain moments in life, I prefer assembling them into a collage. Initially, I create illustrations and then proceed to paint them. From an artistic standpoint, it's a more efficient approach for me. Developing illustrations first and then transitioning to painting feels more streamlined.

Retro and Modernity
It stemmed from my preparation for a comic con earlier this year. I aimed to conceive a concept that would be relatable and focused on the animation and cartoon director genre. In my perspective, history, particularly in school, always piqued curiosity about the relativity of Indian culture. Having delved into Mughal history and culture extensively, I found it intriguing to explore it from a different angle. When creating artworks, I often seek to either create a hybrid or present serious elements in a more contemporary and modern perspective. Thus, the idea of merging anime culture with Mughal history emerged. Anime, in a way, mirrors historical storylines, and combining these two time periods on one screen fascinated me.

Journey
Post-college, with the onset of COVID, I explored various mediums to find my creative niche. I found myself in lockdown in Chicago. During that time, I was introspective and spent a lot of time in my own head. Being in that contemplative space, I began expressing myself visually, shaping it into a form of a visual diary. For the first time, I followed my instincts to create something of my own. The response to my work, particularly a poster I designed, garnered recognition. This encouraged me to consider exploring something of my own, not necessarily commercial, but a project that resonated with my personal design preferences and could capture people's interest. Coincidentally, around the same time, I moved to Miami for a commission-based job as an art curator.

My side hustle always involved investing day and night into fine arts. It was during this period that the NFT trend gained momentum. I started building networks within the art salesmen community and the art scene in Miami. It all came together when they showcased results. As for my current location, I initially moved back to India after a year in Miami, intending to pursue my master's. However, witnessing the expanding art scene in Asia, especially India, made me decide to stay here and observe how things unfold. Currently, my focus is on the growing art scene in Asia.

Words Paridhi Badgotri
Date 11.12.2023

A Sole For A Soul