By Radhika Agrawal

Art has the power to evoke a host of emotions in perceivers. For Amrit Pal Singh, his work is a celebration of a whimsical childhood. His Toy Faces evoke a sense of nostalgia and playfulness that appeals to people of all ages. The 3D toy-like works of art are a fun mix of popular figures, characters, and movements from contemporary culture. His first-ever solo exhibition delves into icons from the art world, presenting 7 new toy faces in an official collaboration with the M.F. Husain estate. Powered by HEFTY.art and Method, the collection will be displayed in a physical art collector’s toy room with Singh’s unique interpretation of iconic furniture pieces. Transcending the boundaries of physical and virtual reality, the show will give viewers the chance to enter a digital toy room. The Toy Face tour will cover Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore and will kick off on 28th April.

We caught up with visual artist, 3D illustrator, and art director Amrit Pal Singh as well as Sahil Arora, founder and curator of Method, to discover what went into birthing this fascinating project.

GlobalSpa: Tell us a little bit about the inception of Toy Faces. When did you start creating them, and what was the inspiration behind them?

Amrit Pal Singh: Toy Faces started as an illustration project in 2020. I wanted to create a diverse set of illustrations that designers and companies could use in their designs. There was an evident lack of representation in the illustrations that were being used by the design industry.

Soon after the launch, the pack took off, and I started getting commissions for Toy Face portraits, which transformed it into an art project. I came up with Toy Faces during the pandemic and wanted to create something cheerful and full of colour. Nostalgia is a great medium and I thought, what better than toys to achieve a childlike sense of wonder during these challenging times, when people are stuck at home and the relevance of digital identity is stronger than ever?

GlobalSpa: Your work has whimsical and nostalgic elements in it that make it enjoyable for people of every age. What made you want to go this route?

Amrit Pal Singh: This is the art that comes naturally to me; I have fully embraced it over the years. I want the viewer to revisit their childhood, I want them to believe everything is possible even if it’s for a second. The world is filled with cynics and they have all the reasons to be that way but I just want my art to make you feel hopeful again.

GlobalSpa: Can you tell us a little bit about the collaboration between Method & HEFTY.art with Amrit Pal Singh?

Sahil Arora: We’ve been following and admiring Amrit Pal Singh’s work for a couple of years now and love the playfulness with which he creates. This tour has been a year in the making and we’re excited to bring his whimsical digital art into a physical realm. The curation features a physically produced life size toy room where each element of Amrit’s designs have been recreated.

GlobalSpa: Can you walk us through your creative process?

Amrit Pal Singh: I believe in play—constantly tinkering with new ideas and pushing my art while keeping certain constraints, like the overarching toy theme. Before starting a Toy Face, I research the subject for a week or two and collect as many references as possible. I love understanding different narratives around the subject and then making an informed decision.

When I am making a Toy Face, I spend the most time on understanding what will make the subject iconic and what all I should use to represent them. As most of the facial features remain the same in every Toy Face I have to play a lot around with props, accessories, and hairstyles and/or headgear. Then comes the colouring and texturing bit, which is my favourite part of the process. I love colours and over the years, I have gotten a good grasp on them. Sometimes I stick with the subject’s personality and at other times, I have a lot of fun and go totally against the grain.

GlobalSpa: The Toy Face tour meshes virtual reality with physical reality in a unique way. Can you tell us what went into creating this concept?

Sahil Arora: Most digital artists have their displays on screens, but with Amrit’s art we wanted to show the versatility of digital art as well. A common question from the people is how digital art can be viewed and displayed and we wanted to address that. The curation actually features no screens, but only a physical presentation of the works.

GlobalSpa: What are your expectations from the Toy Face tour?

Amrit Pal Singh: I want more people to see my work. Digital artists don’t get a platform like this in India, and I want to show what is possible with this medium and how it can transcend into different mediums. I have gotten a lot of love from the global NFT and tech community but things are a bit different when it comes to the art world in India. With this show, I just want to say hello and introduce them to all the cuteness.

GlobalSpa: What do you think is the future of digital art and NFTs?

Amrit Pal Singh: It’s super bright. More and more art will be created digitally. That is just how things are moving; personal opinions don’t matter. With tools like the iPad and apps like Procreate, the barrier to entry is disappearing. Not to mention that AI is unstoppable. I believe there will be newer tools to express yourself digitally as time progresses. And as digital art grows and the idea of digital ownership is understood by the masses, NFTs will become the best medium to monetize all of it. Sure, there will be challenges—the terrain will constantly evolve and there will be collective responsibilities regarding ethics and code of conduct, but that stands true for any disruptive technology. I am excited and looking forward to what’s to come.

Sahil Arora: There is some amazing work being created by digital artists. And now with the advent of AI combined with advancements in AR and VR, the space looks very exciting. I’m extremely curious to see how things will shape up. NFTs are a great medium for tokenisation and proof of ownership on the blockchain. Hopefully, it becomes a mainstay and transitions from a niche to a more widely accepted medium by traditional and young collectors alike.