If you’re on the internet a lot like me, it will come as no surprise that as a generation considering both the millennials and the gen-z we are suffering from one, huge existential crisis together, trying our level best to hold onto some sense of sanity and reality as we see the world around collapsing.
On most days, I don’t want to get out of my bed. I can’t understand what and who killed our collective will to live and in most conversations with friends all we do is rant about how much the world sucks and how anxious we are all the damn time.
There is a sense of modern day existentialism that has pervaded our lives. Whose to blame? Well, you could always blame it on capitalism or being in constant threats of wars or perhaps wanting to avoid the reality that the world has always been a part of an ongoing war or that mindless scrolling on Linkedin where everyone seems to be achieving so much more than you can imagine as you contemplate if this job is even for you or the FOMO Instagram scrolling where everyone always seems to be on vacations or just the very fact that Antarctica just had the most intense heatwave and a temperature spike that should have had us all worried but Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars and somehow that’s worth my time.
As I scroll mindlessly through the internet, the only thing that helps me feel a little better is memes and of course relatable content. The feeling that I’m not alone in sharing these feelings of existential dread and anxieties. There is an odd joy in the feeling of saying, “sameeee,” when you see a post. Tapping into these feelings of modern-day perplexities, absurdities, anxieties, and constant existentialism are three illustrators that you should definitely check out.
I. Anjali
Vadodara-based 23-year-old illustrator and visual artist Anjali’s illustrations seem largely borrowed from personal life. As someone in her early 20s, her illustrations offer an honest insight into the anxieties of relationships, the sense of not feeling that you’re good enough, moments of loneliness, and the overwhelming burden of being on the internet. An honest reflection of how she views the world, the artworks also offer a deep insight into the Gen-Z brain as well as the modern-day anxieties that fuel our lives.
II. Akshita Sinha
20-year-old New Delhi-based artist Akshita Sinha’s relatable comics made with a simple ball-point pen definitely have us gasping “SAMEEE!” What sets Sinha apart as an artist is how her vulnerability comes through in the illustrations. Talking about not being able to understand oneself, the world around, and feeling this sense of overwhelming burden in trying to cope with the world are common themes in Sinha’s illustrations.
In an earlier interview with us, Sinha had shared rather candidly, “My artworks are a reflection of how I view this society – blue and mundane.” Further adding, “There is a fear of not knowing my identity in my pieces because I don’t relate to most people around me, I don’t understand how easy it is to turn things black and white because I for one seem to be stuck in a grey area. I create art every day — penning down even the slightest of the emotions — just to wait for that one day where I can see myself being content with what I have made.”
III. Pia Alizé Hazarika
New-Delhi based illustrator Pia Alizé Hazarika’s comic illustrations are often set in darker tones and in my opinion reveal the inner reflections, turmoils, and anxieties we often deal with. Talking about topics like self-worth, body image, anxiety, and the idea of re-connecting with your wounded inner child, the illustrations are oddly specific but hauntingly relatable at the same time.
Once in an interview, she had said, “As far as my artistic sensibility is concerned, I’d like to call it anxious.” Further adding, “I think my forever lurking existential crisis is the reason I keep pushing myself more and more. I’m scared of going stagnant. I’m worried that one day I won’t be excited about the work I’m doing.”
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