Caught on Tape: The Art of Aakash Nihalani

This gif, Through, is from a series of self-portraits called Once Upon a Wall, by Brooklyn-based artist Aakash Nihalani.

Through.gif His brightly colored geometric art made of electrical tape has been made and displayed on the streets, in galleries and on mixtape covers. As with his self-portraits, there’s a playful and interactive aspect to most of his work. To see that in action, watch Nihalani create and install Stop, Pop and Roll.

There’s something familiar and universal about his work, given the basic, brightly-colored geometric shapes. They may bring back memories of a long ago played game of Tetris or Qbert, or remind you of a doodle you once sketched. Some of them may even evoke M.C. Escher or a muggu/rangoli.

In videos available online, Nihalani speaks at length about his work, including Stop, Pop and Roll and Playground, a piece referencing Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons, in front of a gallery audience last year at Bose Pacia in NYC.

In an earlier Aha moment video, he explains what got him started in the art of taping.

3 thoughts on “Caught on Tape: The Art of Aakash Nihalani

  1. I saw this guy back in 2008, when he would post his work publicly on sidewalks and building exteriors – he works in broad daylight and is really friendly, plus I think it’s cool how he can peel his artwork off easily, unlike spray paint, which needs to be painted over. Glad his work is getting more attention from the media!

  2. yea, this is getting more attention, which is good.

    It seems like he’s also trained to educate people well in art, rather than the art of stating how well-educated you are on trains.