Figures Of A Different Kind

Illustrator and artist Abhimanyu Ghimiray discovered his calling only after acquiring a degree in business studies

What drew you to a career in art?

AG: I should have realized before joining College of Business Studies (Delhi University) that I had creative interests that I ought to explore further. Nevertheless, I’m glad that even then I filled the back of my business notes and question papers with sketches. At the time, it was just something I liked doing. I remember during an exam, an invigilator stopped near my desk, awestruck by a sketch.

In 2006, I got approached by my college magazine editor, Yavnika Khanna, to illustrate some pages for our annual magazine called ‘Pathmanjari’. I was really excited. I had to do the cover page and a few sketches. Later she suggested that I apply to the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. I asked, “What’s that?” At the time I was preparing for CAT Exams, and my biggest fear was Mathematics. On hearing there was an entrance exam for NID, my first question was, “Does it involve Maths?” I was relieved when she said, “Obviously not!” And I dreamt of being at NID right after that sentence.

The difficult part was to convince my parents, who were hoping I’d be in a suit and tie at IIM. Anyway, I gave the entrance but wasn’t able to clear both the stages, so I spent a year learning the basics of 3D Animation. I cleared the entrance the following year and studied Animation Design for two and a half years. I then worked as a game designer for about three years at Kiwi, in Bangalore, only to realize that my true calling was art. So, I quit the job and started freelancing. I’ve been on a journey to self-discovery ever since. I have learnt and am still learning lot of things to improve my skills and concepts.

What does art mean to you?