Bheed
Ballpoint pen on paper, 90 x 64 cm, 2021
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'Bheed' means crowd in Hindi. This piece is an ode to my pre-covid commute routine. I used to travel by the local trains of Mumbai, where I would see a sea of faces every day. Some pleasant, some confused, some lost, and some finding their calm, amidst all the chaos. As an artist, I would observe different countenances, quietly sketching, breathing in all that the city and its citizens had to offer. Mumbai is a crowded metropolis where you are walking, running, and only sometimes, sitting alongside strangers. Life is fast, and every day is a hustle. If you're not quick, you could miss your train. If you're lucky you could catch it and still find yourself standing in the bheed at the peak hour rush. But if you're blessed, you could catch a quick nap and find a certain joy in all of these struggles.
Here, every day is a little different. Everyone is together, yet we're all quite alone. And while we're maybe present together, we're dreaming in our own individual worlds.
With Bheed, I've tried to bring forward all these observations, emotions,
and those unspoken conversations.
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The artwork is selected to be a part of 'Illustrators 64' by the Society of Illustrators.
