A ball rides and sometimes drowns amid the regurgitating waves of an almost funnel-like cylindrical contraption. It has two sides but you don't really know where it begins and where it ends, or which way is up and which way is down. The piece is supposed to highlight the deluge of information online and how it is so easy to drown in it — much like the ball. It is the second piece of art in Laya Mathikshara's digital art collection which is surreptitiously titled Internet Noise.
It is very difficult to not get lost in Laya's repertoire of digital art, which is so surreal and hypnotic that you wouldn't believe that it emanated from the mind of a 13-year-old. And what's, perhaps, more surprising is this Class 9 student's knowledge of finance. The Chennai Public School student has not only created such ethereal art but has also managed to sell them for an aggregated price of Rs 12 lakh. When we got on a call, Laya patiently explained to me what she was doing. "I sell my art on cryptocurrency markets like Foundation and WazirX," she explains. To do that, Laya has to get NFTs or Non-Fungible Tokens, which are a way to confirm that Laya is the creator and her work cannot be replicated. "It's almost like a patent," she adds with a laugh.
She uses crypto like Ethereum and Mumbai-based WazirX as these platforms allow her to sell all kinds of artwork, including those that she created in Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR). NFTs are what allow Laya to sell her art. "Since I am now the confirmed owner of these artworks, it is legitimate for me to sell it on cryptocurrency marketplaces," says Laya.
So, how did Laya's tryst with art begin? While she has been into painting since she was 9, it was her sister — who is now studying Computer Science at Stanford University — who got her interested in coding when she turned 10. "I learned coding languages like Python and p5.js (JavaScript) and was able to develop the skill over the next two years. Coding seemed cool and I love how it can automate things. But it was during the lockdown last year that I decided to merge my love for coding and art," says Laya. With extra time on her hands, Laya began creating art using algorithms, interactive 3D animation and also generative pieces. Her algorithmic take on Dutch-painter Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night is resplendent.
Using software like Cinema 4D, Laya creates not just generative pieces but also those with AR and VR features. Explaining her process, Laya says, "I decide on a theme and then work out how to represent it. Most of the time, I start by drawing on paper and then replicating it on the software. It takes around two days from the ideation to the final artwork." However, Laya says it's difficult to visualise AR art on paper and she usually directly starts creating it on the software.
