Art of Advertising: Vikkal Parikh

Architecture has had a big influence on my career. 

"It first introduced me to the world of art when I was an undergrad. I was most fascinated by the talents of and pieces from Zaha Hadid and Mies van der Rohe whose habitable sculptures continue to inspire me to this day along with Takashi Murakami/Mr. DOB and Saks Afridi whose use of modern technology has evolved the traditional art form. When it comes to expressing myself in advertising and more, I lean into my architectural roots of visualizing space, color, and light. Mixed media is my preferred choice since that lets me pull from a variety of colors and textures as well as bring a tactile quality into my work."

Zaha Hadid

Zaha Hadid has been described as the “Queen of the Curve” who liberated architectural geometry. Her approach to incorporating curves and creating organic shapes on an institutional scale is quite remarkable. Her work continually inspires me to think big picture before getting into the nitty-gritty. I’m a firm believer in the advancement of science and technology—if you can dream it, you can build it. Hadid’s work is a living testament to that. 

Mies van der Rohe

Mies van der Rohe is a German-American architect whose elegance in craft and simplicity epitomizes international style. Quite a contrast to the work of Zaha Hadid; his style focuses more on space and light created in his buildings. The lines and geometry are very precise—German engineering, they say!

Takashi Murakami / Mr. DOB

Takashi Murakami, Japan's iconic pop artist, bends traditional pop culture with fine art in a style he calls, ‘Superflat’. He created the Mr. DOB character which combines anime and manga with postwar Japan. Mr. DOB serves as Takashi’s alter ego and was the first character he designed. His collaborations with brands continually inspire me to find ways to infuse art within advertising. He makes the art world more approachable and less elitist.

Saks Afridi

Saks Afridiis a Pakistani-American artist who continually pushes boundaries to fuse sci-fi with traditional art forms. Tapping into his Pakistani heritage, he has been able to create a narrative using everyday objects—like rugs and traditional Pakistani footwear—as his canvas. In particular, I love his fearless approach to exploring how to use the rather mundane as a way to weave a narrative. Having known him personally for well over a decade now, I’m in awe of how he balances his day job as an ad agency creative with his work as a multi-disciplinary artist.