Role
Art Director, Graphic Designer
Category
Illustration/Album Cover Design
Software Used
Every song is a story. Some songs are lyrically powerful and brim with poetic implications. I challenged myself to visualize the music and create collage artworks for some of my favorite Sufi/Folk songs. The goal was to decode the music and morph it into visuals that evoke emotions like happiness, tranquility, freedom, and confusion. Each composition explores a combination of tangible elements like birds, spinning top, musk deer, sacred fig, cage, kite and firefly to metaphorically convey the abstract feelings that the song emits.
Creative Process
O Re Piya
The first song is “O Re Piya” from the movie Aaja Nachle (2007). “O Re Piya” elegantly captures the essence of a struggle for freedom, with the imagery of feet adorned in ghunghroos (ankle bells traditionally used by Indian dancers) symbolizing both entrapment and the beauty of expression through dance. The complex relationship between love and freedom, poses an introspective question: What is true liberation? Is it the profound bond of love or the fiery pursuit of passion?
Mann Kasturi
The second song is “Mann Kasturi” from the movie Masaan (2015). The inspiration for the artwork came from the following lines:
“उमर की गिनती हाथ ना आई
पुरखों ने ये बात बताई
उल्टा करके देख सके तो
अम्बर भी है गहरी खाई।”
which translate to:
“Growing older is a mystery. Elders have told us that if you flip it upside down, even the sky can become a bottomless pit.” This illustrates how shifting your perspective can completely change the way you see things.
Patakha Guddi
The third song in the series is “Patakha Guddi” from the movie Highway (2014).
In Hindi, “Patakha” means “Firecracker,” and in Punjabi, “Guddi” means “Kite.” This song portrays a spirited, fun-loving girl who has been liberated. She is like a kite with no strings, unrestricted and soaring freely in the expansive sky all on her own.
I designed vertical versions of these artworks, each featuring a QR code at the bottom. Scanning the code takes the listener to Spotify, providing an enhanced audio-visual experience.
