We visit a Chennai-based artist’s pop-up that promises to create stunning artworks using the iris of your eye
Rahul M with the collection of iris artworks
Dear reader, has anyone ever told you your eyes are a work of art? Before you blush, we’re only asking because this writer was recently told so. At the opening day of a three-day pop-up in Bandra, we meet Chennai-based artist Rahul M, who is looking Mumbaikars in the eye, capturing high-res scans of their irises, and turning them into striking digitally juxtaposed artworks using digital photo manipulation.
At Candies, where young patrons from possibly every college in the neighbourhood have gathered on a weekday afternoon, there’s more than meets the eye. In a corner, an exhibition of surrealist framed artworks, each featuring a set of irises, are staring right back at us. At the end of this eerie yet fascinating walk is an unusual contraption, akin to something we’ve only ever seen at an optometrist’s clinic before.
The writer gets his iris scanned by the photographer. Pics/Nimesh Dave
We’re escorted to the setup where we sit eye-to-eye not with an optometrist or ophthalmologist, but a skilled photographer with a specialised camera. On an otherwise lazy afternoon, the photographer gives us a wake-up call: “Open your eyes out wide!” Another assistant swiftly scoots in on cue and shines a soft white light from the side. Click, tap, beep, and our job is done.
In a live feed on a laptop, we see the larger-than-life recreation of our iris, the part of the eye that determines the colour of every human being’s eye. In comparison to the blue, green and hazel hues that stumped us at the showcase earlier, our scan comes out in a modest shade of brown. We’re presented a list of designs to choose from. Between Explosion, Infinity, Yin Yang and Asteroid, among other options, we take our pick.
The scan appears on the digital workstation
Over a chat with Rahul after our experience, we learn that the 22-year-old has recently graduated from a business course in Madhavaram in Chennai. “I have a distinct orange hue in my irises. I started experimenting with the idea during the COVID 19 lockdown and hit the ground running soon. The idea has become a huge hit in South India. This is our first experiment in north India,” he reveals. We’re all for his farsighted vision, although we’re not sure how Mumbaikars will take to being grouped with ‘north India’.
As we speak, our scan is then sent to the collective’s visual editor all the way out in Chennai, where he works on clearing up the image, including eliminating the glare from the ambient lights in the room and adding embellishments as per our selection. And while we were keen to see the artwork, like all good things, this too has to wait. After a week-long process, we should have our own artwork in our hands. It will be worth it, Rahul assures us. If beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, there shouldn’t be any room for error.
An editor in Chennai enhances the image and adds artistic touches
ON Today and tomorrow; 12 pm to 9 pm
AT Candies, Pali Hill, Bandra West.
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