Aditya Raj, Delhi @Adirajart
Aditya Raj's policeman father was typically posted in small towns, where there wasn't much to do. So growing up, Raj doodled cartoon characters on scraps of paper, and stuck them on the walls. By 2016, after he finished law school and was living in Delhi, he knew art was his calling.
"I wanted to paint the mundane. Things one overlooks. We keep going to the same bookstore or kachoriwala, but rarely stop and look at it for its beauty," says Raj. "Delhi gave me my politics, and understanding of so many things. It's no surprise that I wanted to paint it."
In Raj's watercolour works, the city seems chaotic, but also calm. A hawker's cart full of mangoes provides a pop of yellow against a grey landscape. Generations-old shopfronts huddle companionably, overwhelming the senses just as they do when you navigate old Delhi.
Raj paints from reality, only changing the scale for effect. He captured 4S, an old queer-friendly pub in Defence Colony, which he visited through law school. "When I finally decided to paint it, I gathered all my own stories and experiences and put them in," he says. "The work is a moment in time and I like to keep it like that. It's like a small little private story."
Raj's prints start at ₹3,000 for an A4 piece.
Paul Fernandes, Bengaluru @apaulogy_gallery
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Let's tri all the angles
BFFs falling for the same girl, kidnap twists, murders, bromances. These 10 three-way love stories play with geometry and our feelings
Should you Q up for this?
Audi's luxury SUV, the Q8, has had a refresh. But a sleeker grille and headlight tech don't make up for what's still missing
How to plan a great escape
It's getting colder. It's already hard to breathe. Why not plan a winter vacation that's a world away but not too far away?
Kababs, yes, but khandvi too
Mughlai cuisine has as many vegetarian dishes as meaty ones. A new translation of a 16th century manuscript shows how we ate, and why modern labels are pointless
I can be your hero
Gurfateh Pirzada, only afewroles old, is the green flag we didn't know we needed. He's learning from women. He wants to be more thana lover and a fighter. He's hoping we all do better. No wonder everyone's crushing on him
Meet the export experts
Khadi crop-tops in Spain, faux-leather hoodies in London, fairytale wedding gowns in the UAE. See how some desi labels are killing it on foreign shores
Why we're all feeling Blue
Coco Mellors's new novel is about grief, sisterhood, and of course, addiction and unlikeable women. How does she make it work?
This week, we're...
Changing the momo game, listening to kids, starting a new business, and supporting pro waxxers
Rohit Chawla
Photographer, artist, @RohitChawlaPhotography_
Congratulations, it's a goal
Lakeside vows, pastel palettes, bayous, backyards and boats. These celeb weddings are what modern fairytales are made of