Flying high

Seby Augustine is a self-taught visual artist and graphic designer from Ernakulam, Kerala, who has built a fascinating journey blending design and painting. After spending more than 17 years in the elearning graphic design industry—including work at Accenture in Bangalore—he transitioned into full-time painting and freelance design, steadily gaining recognition in the Indian art community. His work often explores contrasts: nature and abstraction, tradition and modernity, shadow and light. Whether through acrylics, digital art, or mixed media, Seby’s storytelling is rooted in cultural motifs and the flow of life. Recently, he prepared for Pravah: Celebrating the Flow of Life at Lokayata Art Gallery in New Delhi, a milestone that reflects his growing presence in exhibitions across India. What makes Seby’s practice compelling is his adaptability—he embraces new techniques, including AI-assisted creativity, while staying grounded in the tactile richness of painting. He transforms simple subjects into metaphors for resilience, guidance, and transformation. In his abstract works, Seby leans into fluid forms, layered textures, and bold contrasts. These pieces often feel like visual poetry, where cultural motifs and organic shapes dissolve into pure expression. The abstraction allows him to explore themes of movement, transformation, and inner states of being, while still echoing the natural inspirations that ground his practice. His landscapes often draw from nature’s rhythms—lush greens, flowing waters, shifting skies—but they aren’t mere reproductions. Instead, they become meditations on atmosphere, where light and color evoke emotion as much as place.