I am an illustrator, cartoonist and reportage artist working between New York City and Mumbai. I am currently pursuing my Masters degree in Illustration as Visual Essay at School of Visual Arts, New York. My work attempts to process and document human relationships, instances of emotional connection between strangers, and the magic in everyday life.
I am also very interested in the conversations people have over food. I am interested in why people form specific associations with food during childhood. And how their relationships with food play out in their lives. My work explores how in cultures with a history of migration and colonial trauma, food is used as a tool of communication, and how sharing a meal or food resources fosters intimacy, connection and a sense of community between strangers. My work explores these questions through drawings on location, gouache paintings and illustrating the interviews I conduct, through the format of comics zines and graphic novels.
I enjoy making patterns, sketching at live drawing events, organizing workshops and giving artist talks. Get in touch if you'd like make something cool together!
Follow me on Instagram : @TheJackfruitSlayer
CV
EXHIBITIONS:
Space Gallery, Portland
Zanbeel Art Gallery: Mapping Out A Field
School of Visual Arts Book Show
Frick Fine Arts Library (Zine Collection)
Rendez-vous Carnet Du Voyage
(Travel Illustration Festival in France)
Comic Arts Brooklyn
Toronto Comic Arts Festival
MoCCA Arts Festival
Pittsburgh Zine Fest
Printed Matter NY
NY Independent Art Book Fair
Women That Rock
Vancouver Comic Arts Festival
SVA Gramercy Gallery
Panels To The People
Carousel : Quarantined
12th Street Journal
Push Pull
OCD Chocolate
Smush Gallery
Greenpoint Gallery
Parsons Gala
Secrets Risograph show (Hamburg, NYC)
Optikal Asylum (Mumbai)
EDUCATION
Parsons School of Design
B.F.A in Illustration 2019,
Dean’s List, GPA: 3.95
School of Visual Arts
M.F.A in Illustration 2021,
Merit Scholarship Awardee 2019, 2020
AWARDS
SVA Alumni Scholarship Award 2021
SVA Merit Scholarship 2020, 2019
Departmental Honors at Parsons Graduation
Nominated for Will Eisner Scholarship
Parsons Learning Portfolio Contest
Parsons Sketchbook Contest
All India Rank: 31/50000 in the 2014 NIFT
(National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Examination)
PUBLICATIONS
The Comics Beat (Interview)
Tampon Rock
CLIENTS
Uber India
Gaysi Family
Madame Poupon
Bombay Municipal Corporation
Institute of Psychiatric Health
Rendez-vous Carnet Du Voyage
LANGUAGES
English, Hindi, Marathi, French