Art In His DNA
POOL|POOL 90

As Creative Director of Forty Six and Two Designs, Sajid Wajid Shaikh gives full expression to his illustration and other artistic talents

Art In His DNA

When did you discover your passion for visual art?

SS: Art for me was a way to cope with my shortcomings academically; while other kids in my school had their ways to get noticed, I had my drawing books. I was working towards a Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) degree from Mumbai University when I realized that I could actually make visual art into a legit profession and continue doing what I really love.

Shirkar Chavan, a friend, introduced me to the possibilities of taking drawing to the computer. After that the only thing that ever excited me was to create stuff that I would generally draw on a paper. Three years into this self exploratory graphic design path I was responsible for the college festival’s design makeover. Three years later I had a small portfolio, which I could show to agencies and freelance to earn some money here there.

What is the story behind Forty Six and Two Designs?

SS: I am a huge fan of the band called Tool, and I’ve blatantly taken the name from one of their songs. The song is a living being that speaks directly and informs my view on art. Whenever I am feeling low I sit down with this entity and speak with it; it talks about metamorphosis, internal cleansing, embracing change as it comes with least resistance, and moving forward. I also dug deeper into the origin of the name – it references an idea first conceived by Carl Jung and later expounded upon by Drunvalo Melchizedek concerning the possibility of reaching a state of evolution at which the body would have two more than the normal 46 chromosomes and leave a currently disharmonious state. The premise is that humans would deviate from the current state of human DNA which contains 44 autosomes and 2 sex chromosomes.

How did the experience of working in the industry shape your career?

This story is from the POOL 90 edition of POOL.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the POOL 90 edition of POOL.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM POOLView All
A Legacy Continues
Designindia

A Legacy Continues

Leveraging the success of his family's export business, Naman Jain is focusing on creating a retail presence in India

time-read
5 mins  |
Designindia 143
Creating KAIRA
Designindia

Creating KAIRA

Long fascinated by Indian fabric, Nikita Gupta has launched an attractive line of contemporary apparel in traditional block prints

time-read
4 mins  |
Designindia 143
Stories faces tell
Designindia

Stories faces tell

Aditya Narula dabbled in various vocations before he realized portraiture was the best way to express the fascinating complexities of the people he encountered along the way

time-read
6 mins  |
Designindia 143
time tested DESIGN
Designindia

time tested DESIGN

Surrounded by art and architecture as a child, Sarah Sham went on to take the family antiques business in a new direction through her interior design venture

time-read
3 mins  |
Designindia 143
DANGEROUSLY DELICATE
Designindia

DANGEROUSLY DELICATE

Kavya Potluri's attention to minute detail is what sets her intricate and unconventional jewelry apart

time-read
5 mins  |
Designindia 143
music as muse
Designindia

music as muse

A multidisplinary visual artist, Aaron Pinto, also known as Kidsquidy, has had an interesting journey that started with MTV and has him now working on everything from music videos to stage design

time-read
8 mins  |
Designindia 143
DEVELOPING A DISCOURSE
Designindia

DEVELOPING A DISCOURSE

Documentary photographer Taha Ahmad believes his work has a greater purpose than merely being admired by a select audience for its esthetic value. It's when people are able to see the underside of society and understand the prevailing social injustice that the work tries to reveal that it is truly worthwhile.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Designindia 143
Tiny little Stories
Designindia

Tiny little Stories

Creating miniature worlds allows Ruchika Nambiar to continue to play childlike games of make-believe

time-read
8 mins  |
Designindia 143
The Richness Of Handmade
Designindia

The Richness Of Handmade

Amit Vijaya and Richard Pandav are committed to bringing together many hands and hearts through their clothing label ‘amrich’

time-read
6 mins  |
Designindia 114
The perfect balance
Designindia

The perfect balance

Aniruddh Mehta is as much graphic designer as visual artist, and he tries to do justice to both through his work at Studio Bigfat

time-read
5 mins  |
Designindia 114