Out of This World

Escaping Reality Through Digital Art

Interview by Emme Martin

No reality is off-limits in the mind of digital artist Puks, especially with a bit of imagination and a good beat. Her work has evolved over the years from paper sketches to a mixture of 2D and 3D animations depicting alternate worlds, often quite serene. The tranquility in Puks’s work is not by mistake, as she often finds immense creative prowess while listening to music. Her art is the epitome of an escape from reality, as its subtle nuances encourage questions of what it would be like to live in the worlds she creates. VIE spoke to Puks about her inspirations, alternate worlds, friendship, NFTs, and even aliens. Check out the multidimensional interview below.

VIE: Let’s start with something many fans probably want to know—where did the name “Puks” come from?

Puks: It is actually a shorter version of my legal name, which I will not reveal! I liked it, so I kept it and didn’t give it much thought. It is also very ambiguous, like, “Who is this person, where are they from, what are their pronouns?” I like the anonymity it gives me.

VIE: Where are you from?

Puks: I’m based in Bangalore, India, currently.

VIE: How did you become interested in animation, and where did you start?

Puks: I was always very keen on sketching and drawing while growing up. Sketching was always my go-to. I never thought of it as my pastime, but instead, imagining, drawing, and making narratives in my piles of sketchbooks was something I did with most of my time. I never stopped sketching, and they finally translated into animation. Eventually, I graduated from NID, the best design school for animation in India. I always knew I wanted to add life to my sketches and realized animation was the way to do that.

No reality is off-limits in the mind of digital artist Puks, especially with a bit of imagination and a good beat.

VIE: We see that you are inspired by music. How do sounds influence the way you create your animations? Is there a particular genre of music you listen to for inspiration?

Puks: A huge part of sketching while growing up involved me listening to music. What I felt while sketching was inspired by the music I heard, and the emotions directly impacted my art. I used to listen to a lot of Arcade Fire, U2, and Green Day! While listening to music, I imagine visuals and create narratives based on the rhythm, beat, and melody, which translates into the art I make. I hear a lot of different genres that inspire me.

VIE: How long do your animations typically take to create, from concept to completion? Can you describe the process?

Puks: It always starts with composition, a huge part of my art. The composition makes a huge difference, as it can completely change how one perceives a piece. In addition, it lends you a sense of imagination. Obviously, before composition, there is a narrative I come up with based on the ideas and scenes I develop in my head. My style is almost like 2D illustrations, which I add life to by subtly animating certain elements. Finally, I finish the piece by adding camera movements, like zooming out or panning across. This helps me achieve a sense of curiosity in each piece by revealing hidden imagery as the camera moves.

VIE: Nostalgia is a strong theme in your work; what design elements do you use to achieve this? 

Puks: Most of the color palettes in my pieces are inspired by Studio Ghibli films. The scenes I create are from my childhood or places I like to imagine myself in. They might come from my imagination or even places I’ve been. For example, I grew up around trains and railway tracks, and they became a huge part of my pieces. I also grew up around many trees and greenery, as there was a nursery opposite my house. I woke up to it every day. The constant smell of soil, trees, and grass somehow finds its way into my pieces. These simple and subtle elements are inherently nostalgic for me—the blue skies, the slightly moving grass, and even the sounds take me back to my lived experiences.

VIE: Tell us about some alternate worlds you create in your animations. Would you describe them as dystopian, utopian, or a mix?

Puks: I neither like to imagine them as dystopian nor utopian. These words provide stereotypical constraints, which I try not to bind my worlds under. Personally, I would love to live in the worlds I create! I feel everything is very peaceful, calm, and serene, and one can just be in these worlds. In most of my work, there are always multiple people, and there might not be any conversation or active movement. Still, you can see how comfortable and calm they are just being in the space without any forced interactions—just happy and being themselves in each other’s company.

VIE: There are a lot of extraterrestrial life forms in your animations. Do you believe in aliens?

Puks: I definitely think there is life other than us. I draw these creatures by imagining something other than humans, though not necessarily animals or even aliens. I imagine them as cute and pure of heart, and I would love to be friends with them! They don’t have to be close to you, but their being around would give you a sense of comfort and platonic affection.

While listening to music, I imagine visuals and create narratives based on the rhythm, beat, and melody, which translates into the art I make. I hear a lot of different genres that inspire me.

VIE: What has been your favorite project so far?

Puks: My piece Open Windows is one of my favorite works. So many things are happening in it, which only raises many questions in the viewer’s head. The piece lets the audience create its own narrative, which is what I like the most about it. There isn’t a fixed storyline, and the absurdity of the elements lets one constantly question and imagine their own stories.

VIE: How have NFTs benefited you as an artist?

Puks: I think my art requires a sense of movement and animation that one can only appreciate through a digital format. Rather than being still and static pieces hung on the wall, my works have movement and motion, and NFTs provide that platform. They allow my works and their inherent nature to be distributed and experienced the way I imagine them!

VIE: Where do you predict the future of NFT art will go?

Puks: NFTs give a platform to a lot of small up-and-coming artists. They also change the way we perceive and consume art. NFTs have made art much more accessible and, for me, completely changed the way I perceive art.

VIE: Where can people buy your NFTs or consume your art?

Puks: You can find my NFTs on OpenSea.io/collection/kmotion, Foundation.app/@kmotion_, and Teia.art/kmotion and consume my work on Instagram at @_kmotion_.

Rather than being still and static pieces hung on the wall, my works have movement and motion, and NFTs provide that platform. They allow my works and their inherent nature to be distributed and experienced the way I imagine them!

VIE: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Puks: I find joy in the most mundane things around me, which translates into my work. So, I hope everyone reading this also finds something that gives them a sense of comfort and joy, whatever form that might take. I think I have been extremely lucky to find love in what I do, and I am incredibly grateful!

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Appreciate the work of Puks to the fullest by visiting her website Kmotion.Design.com, or follow her on Instagram at @_kmotion_. Her full animations are also available for viewing in this article on VIEmagazine.com.