Strokes that Weave Stories!
Art or Design
Art and design are inextricably linked. To the untrained eye, they are but the same, but for Melvin Thambi the designer, it is in art that he finds true joy and happiness. He has a background in fine arts and started his career working as a graphic designer in the IT sectorand has since climbed the ranks to become a creative director.
Finding Art in Chaos
His drawings are full of scribbles and strokes; he loves chaos in his illustration. Art is patient. He discovered that lines have the power to capture human emotions in a way that no other element can. People are expressive and people are unique and Melvin loves to engage with them a lot. These exciting characteristics of a person's face always inspire him to pick his pens and paper and just scribble the sketch. Each portrait he draws comes from a beautiful memory or an exhilarating moment. They are not just portraits, they are stories.
A new World of Opportunities
Having explored many facets of art, he is constantly on the lookout for better creative yet economical platforms for artists, a playground to show off his creative skills. That’s when he entered the world of NFTs and Web3. Nothing excited him more than the fact that any creation of his mind could become more valuable than just a jpeg or a digital piece of content.
Create, Collaborate and Contribute
Melvin and his wife Nimmy, are both from the art world, and wanting to bring both their artistic sensibilities together and create something truly unique lead to the creation of Emm & Enn. It was founded with the mission to bring more awareness about the potential of art and support artists worldwide. Their dream with it is to create a coworking studio space where artists from all walks of life can come, engage and exhibit their work. A space where tech and art come together and virtual galleries become an accessible reality.
Fine Art with IT?
His favourite project so far was an exhibition 2015 wherein he brought together a mix of designers and engineers. IT professionals for a fine arts exhibition is a unique combo to say the least, but a recipe that turned out very successful. One of his paintings from the exhibition even got selected for the Lalitha Kala academy state exhibition and was minted as an NFT. If that wasn’t enough of an achievement, a woodcut of the painting, was also exhibited in one prominent gallery in the US.
Mentors and Mentees
It can be challenging to find time for activities other than art sometimes, but Melvin always finds time to communicate with other like-minded creatives. Good brainstorming sessions frequently result in a lot of intriguing initiatives. ‘Brokpa’ was such a project. One of Hari Menon's iconic images served as the inspiration for Melvin to create a portrait and it has received a lot of recognition in the NFT space and was exhibited in many international events.
Melvin is also a mentor on ADPList and interacts with a lot of budding artists. He thinks that mentoring is a great way to understand and learn from others, and he is frequently astounded by young people's insight and viewpoints.
The Brand Ladder
Each creative person is a brand. Every artist or designer has their own identity; branding depends on how you discover it and how it connects with the audience. Melvin has helped many build a brand over the years and believes a good brand follows - Satisfaction, Delight, Engagement and Empowerment. “Personal branding is something we can't build overnight; instead, it gradually evolves through the quality of our work or how much we trust in our skills.” The best way to develop your personal branding is to completely ignore it and focus more on what you do and trust.
