Code Couture: Bengaluru teen transforms algorithms into art and a movement for global empowerment

In a quiet corner of Bengaluru, 17-year-old Samvar Shah is weaving together strands of code, creativity, and compassion. A student of National Public School, Indiranagar, Samvar is the founder of AlgoThreads, a bold initiative that fuses mathematics with visual art to spark both innovation and inclusion.

At its heart, AlgoThreads is more than a brand. It’s a movement, a wearable expression of code that challenges the notion that science and art must live in separate worlds. Each piece in the collection is designed using Python, generating intricate fractal patterns that are printed onto clothing and décor now available on Amazon India. “Every design is born from code,” Samvar shares.

“It’s authored by me, shaped by math, and driven by a vision to make STEM expressive and inclusive.”

But the story doesn’t end at aesthetics. Recognising that creativity can be a bridge to empowerment, Samvar joined hands with Delhi-based Nisarg Foundation to bring free algorithmic art workshops to underserved youth, especially young girls. Armed with just a laptop and basic Python skills, students are learning to turn their digital designs into products and possibilities. “It’s not just art,” Samvar says. “It’s creative empowerment. A path to dignity, income, and self-expression.”

The ripple effects have gone global. In 2024, Samvar organised the first-ever Global Algorithmic Art Contest, drawing submissions from over 15 countries, from Pakistan and Kazakhstan to Saudi Arabia and Singapore.

The winner, a young artist from Pakistan, perfectly captured the spirit of AlgoThreads: using math and creativity to build bridges, not borders.

Samvar’s impact extends beyond the screen. Through his “Art for Action” initiative, he has raised over ₹3 lakhs for cancer care, food relief, and senior citizen support—proving that art can feed both the soul and society.

He has also penned a beginner’s eBook on algorithmic art, and a research paper he authored is currently under academic review.

Outside of AlgoThreads, Samvar mentors junior math Olympiad aspirants, writes a blog to make algorithmic art accessible to all, and performs Hindustani classical music.

Now in his final year of school, he hopes to pursue a multidisciplinary path in mathematics, computer science, and design, blending abstraction with application to democratise creative STEM education worldwide.

“I don’t just want to study STEM,” Samvar says. “I want to build with it—and teach others to do the same.”