Tape Illusions | Aakash Nihalani

The New York-based artist Aakash Nihalani, originally hailing from India presents his first Italian solo show, “Vantage”. He has the unique technique to utilize “colored, oftentimes fluorescent, adhesive tape” in order to generate simple geometric shapes. These produce three-dimensionality & mainly function as deceptive continuations of the surrounding adjoining structures.

The sculptures that span a doorway, creating “holes” in the walls where a colorful yellow bar passes from each side. Other exhibits include the installation of simple white platforms that are threaded with vibrant combinations of diverse colours such as blues, reds, and greens.

A piece that is larger-than-life, Aakash Nihalani creates the illusion of a passageway where “zippered walls” open to export &declare a relaxing blue background. Once the optical illusions are created, it is the human body that brings them to life, accomplishing an authentic visual effect.

In Aakash’s projects people “merge” with the astoundingly geometrical proportions. “Like a painter I start with the canvas, but I also explore the ways to sculpt and paint around it, using it as a visual object in and of itself.

These paintings, like the majority of my work, are created with a specific point of view – a frontal one – where the illusion exists and the shapes seem to come to life” explains the artist.

By Depy Charalampidou