One of the predominant characteristics of a democracy is the citizens’ right to self-expression, which includes his or her right to be able to challenge the dominant discourse around political events. Political art or protest art is one of the creative ways in which citizens can express their points of view. It has been used as a means to convey public opinion to the government, as well as an attempt to influence public opinion at times. As a form of peaceful dissent that has been used all over the world since ages, protest art needs minimal resources and is thus financially convenient. It is an effective tool to create social consciousness, and exists in all genres ranging from visual and audio arts to stand-up comedy, paintings, rap music, signs, banners, posters and other printed materials. This kind of art is highly contextual as it is usually a product of a particular socio-political climate. Here are a few protest artists and their art works :
I. Nikunj Patel
Nikunj Patel is an independent animator, graphic artist and VJ operating out of Mumbai. This NID graduate’s personal work often sits at the intersection of his diverse interests. He also draws inspiration through his personal experiments with food and music.
II. Appupen
Appupen, is a comics creator, visual artist and musician who tells stories from a mythical dimension called Halahala. Armed with a skewed vision of the world, darkly vivid art and a satirical bite, he is a unique voice in Indian comics and comics in general.
III. Amalendu Kaushik
Hailing from Guwahati, Assam, Amalendu Kaushik is a recent graduate of National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. He is interested in animation film-making, character design, story boarding and visual development.
IV. Nandita Ratan
Nandita Ratan is a Hyderabad-Vancouver based visual artist. She works with story telling, zines, illustration and the occasional wall mural. She graduated from Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, Bengaluru in 2017, and is currently studying for her masters at Emily Carr university of Art+Design in Vancouver.
V. Karan Kumar
Karan Kumar is a freelance Illustrator and graphic designer based in Mumbai, India. A Graphic Design and Illustration graduate from Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Karan has worked with clients like Adidas, Puma, Budweiser, Nike, Boiler Room, Absolut, DC Shoes and many more global brands in developing digital media strategy and print design.
VI. KADAK
KADAK is a collective of South Asian women working with graphic storytelling of different kinds. The design collective works on challenging preconceived notions of femininity and sexuality, and redefining the narratives that surround it. Inspired by a matchbox emblazoned with the name, Kadak defines not only their purpose but each of the eight women—strong, severe, sharp. ‘Kadak came together as a response to a call for submissions to The East London Comics and Arts Festival earlier this year.
VII. Mayur Tekchandaney
After graduating from Parsons School of Design, Mayur Tekchandaney did a one year stint at The Deep End, New York and then returned to India to work for MTV India. During this time, he, along with his team, created many award- winning promos that built the MTV brand, post which he started his own production house to direct TV commercials. In 2012, he returned to his first love, Design, and started Briefcase to help brands achieve their goals by using Design’s power to organise, aide, influence, change or solve. 20 years of working with and in all the different disciplines of Design has given him the ability to see a project’s vision through, from creation to execution.
VIII. Pavi Sankar
Practicing the art of sarcasm with the skill of an aged yogi, Pavi Sankar, a Kerala based digital artist who goes by the username of Sarcasanam, passes social commentary and re-imagines familiar Malayali motifs with ample amount of dry wit and creative flair.
XI. Danish Shaikh
Danish Shaikh is a 3D designer, visualizer and conceptualizer. He is involved in illustrations, graphic design, typography, branding, and advertising as well. He loves doing creative designs including Logos, Brochures, Flyers, Business cards, Social Media Banner Designs, Website designs and much more related to print design and on screen display UI/UX designs.
If you enjoyed reading this article, we suggest you also read: