amrit pal singh
Sanpreet Singh Dhanjal
There's something so wistful about Amrit Pal Singh's art that takes you back to a magical and awe-filled childhood of innocence, simplicity and good old fun. Moreover, there are also obvious qualities in this artist's work. It's as if I feel a desperate urge to reach into the screen, pull out a digital toy, and collect a bunch of Shin's “Toy Faces.”
Singh's Candy Toy Face, part of the Toy Faces collection.
amrit pal singh
Singh, who is based in Delhi, India, has been in the business for over 15 years. With a client roster boasting names like Netflix, Google, Snapchat, and Budweiser, Singh stands as one of India's most sought-after NFT artists since his work 'Frida Toy Face' was minted in 2021. I am.
Artists who continue to work their magic have created over 100 coveted NFT artworks of global icons such as Jane Goodall, Andy Warhol, David Bowie, and Salvador Dali. It also includes a toy room and a whimsical collection of toy birds, which convey (and evoke) similar feelings of nostalgia.
Shin's latest series “The Adventures of The Toy Maker”.
Amrit Pal Singh
But long before his success with NFTs, Singh says he had no grand illusions of creating art that would become an instant hit. In fact, during the 2020 pandemic, he casually launched a service online that creates digital portraits in his signature Toy Face style for people who want to have themselves illustrated in an interesting way. I advertised it. Little did he know the project would take off.
“Everyone spends so much time online, there's a limit to how many selfies you can take at home,” he said with a laugh. Everyone ordered toy-like avatars, wanting something unique and different to use on their social media profiles. ”
“When I started making NFTs, I realized that this too can be considered art.” – Amrit Pal Singh
amrit pal singh
After a year of designing around 2,000 custom toy faces, the artist decided to test the waters of the NFT space and released the first-ever NFT. From there, the rest was history.
Last year, Singh's Toy Face Tour, which featured a life-sized Toy Room containing printed versions of his Toy Face artwork, toured galleries in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The tour was a huge success and allowed participants to immerse themselves in Singh's quirky and colorful imagination.
jane goodall toy face
amrit pal singh
“When I started making NFTs, I realized that this too could be considered art and could be sold the same way you sell artwork in a gallery. That just opened my eyes to a lot of different things. , I started making toy faces of people that inspired me: Van Gogh, Sherlock Holmes, Daft Punk, Malala – in no particular order, just the subjects that I instinctively wanted to cover at the time. I just put them together.”
Currently working on his “semi-autobiographical” series, The Adventures of the Toymaker, with plans to eventually develop it into tangible toys and products, Singh says that today's productivity He is adamant that he does not participate in the high hustle culture. Instead, artists prefer to get into a slow, creative headspace, spending time studying the characters they're designing.
From Shin's “Toy Room” series.
amrit pal singh
“I bought a 3D printer and attended a two-month workshop to learn how to make things,” he says seriously. It will take time. I want to do it right. I like to take my time and focus on learning first. Because I think that's the best way. Approach the subject with maximum interest. And if your interest lasts, it's worth it. I'm enjoying it very much. ”
Yayoi Kusama's toy face
amrit pal singh
With a solo exhibition scheduled for next year, Singh believes it is essential for creators to promote their work once the creative process is complete. For an introvert like himself, the artist reveals that he had to really push himself out of his comfort zone in order to start promoting his art.
For example, in the early days, Singh frequently promoted Toy Face across social media platforms and shamelessly sent direct messages to his network on LinkedIn. He explains that artists need to let go of their inhibitions and be bold about the process of believing in their work.
Take a peek inside Toy Maker's studio.
amrit pal singh
“There is this image of an artist who doesn't really think about money and just makes art, but in the end you realize that's not true. You can make money with 'fine arts.' That's where you want to be and there's no need to get discouraged or wonder if you have enough resources to achieve your dreams. Creators constantly battle impostor syndrome, but at the end of the day, marketing is just as important as making art. ”
