When one of the most influential artists of the past century picks up an iPad and Apple Pencil to make drawings that are timeless, one cannot help but be amazed by the power of the device. “The iPhone was more about the relationship between the hand and the ear, whereas this (the iPad) is all about the hand and the eye and makes for far better coordination,” the 85-year-old has said.
What about artists in India? Three multidisciplinary artists are showcasing their artwork at the India Art Fair, and they are sharing their creative process at a special preview ‘Today at Apple’ session in India. Their tool is the iPad Pro. On till February 12, India Art Fair is the place to be to discover modern and contemporary art from South Asia. Attendees who wish to participate in any Today at Apple sessions may sign up online.
“India has such a vibrant creative community, and we love seeing the ways these talented artists are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on iPad Pro to take their innovative ideas to the next level,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice-president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
The first artist to keep an eye on is from Calcutta. Multidisciplinary artist Varun Desai is creating an alternate, immersive world. His building blocks: layers of algorithms, 3D art, and electronic music, all compiled on his iPad Pro. Desai has been mastering 3D art for years and most know about his passion for electronic music.
He is participating in the Digital Artists in Residence programme at the 2023 India Art Fair, which also features visual artist and illustrator Mira Felicia Malhotra and artist, poet and writer Gaurav Ogale. Their work will be on display at the dedicated Digital Residency Hub within The Studio till February 12, alongside an ambitious selection of technologymeets-art projects and installations.
Mira Felicia Malhotra’s work is titled ‘Log Kya Kahenge’
Creation of Varun Desai from Calcutta
Gaurav Ogale has been documenting his memories and the people he has met
Answering the theme of this year’s showcase — ‘Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary’ — Desai is presenting ‘Dimorphism’, a digital installation of codegenerated video art, 3D LiDAR scanning, hand-drawn animation, and sound synthesis. He has combined his background in coding, his love for music, and his artistic flair, working adeptly across multiple devices, from synthesisers to iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, as well as Mac Studio and Studio Display.
Illustrator Mira Felicia Malhotra is from Mumbai and she is bringing to life the idiosyncrasies of Indian families through her showcase titled ‘Log Kya Kahenge’. The body of work is a set of family portraits that offer a look into the desire to conform to societal expectations and project a certain image for society to see.
There are two layers to each of these family portraits. There is the portrait itself, which mirrors what certain families want society to see. Then there is the animated layer, which reveals the true dynamics of these families when viewed using the Artivive augmented reality app on iPad or iPhone.
She sketches on the iPad Pro with her Apple Pencil in the Procreate app. Malhotra also captures images of her subjects on her iPhone 14 and then builds on them by adding layers of illustrations. “I want a feel that is similar to drawing on paper, as opposed to looking at the screen and drawing with another mouselike device,” she has said.
As for digital artist and storyteller Gaurav Ogale, there’s no fixed studio space or taking a nomadic approach. Travelling since the age of 16, Ogale has been documenting his memories and the people he’s met along the way, and turning them into animated, nostalgic short films. Through his work, titled ‘Best-sellers’, he aims to flip the script on what it means to read a book on the bestsellers list.
Ogale usually begins his process by jotting down a thought, amemory, or a poem either with pen and paper or using the Notes app. He then starts building the visual aspects by sketching on his iPad Pro, using Procreate or editing on Adobe Photoshop.
“I usually take a lot of time to get used to technology, but with iPad Pro, somehow, it’s been quick. And it has become an alternate to my journal now,” Ogale says.