Women's Day special: Samyukta Madhu on her journey, evolving digital art, and more

Samyukta Madhu is a digital artist who is redefining creativity with her bold and innovative work. Since childhood, she had an eye towards digital artwork. With no conventional entry point into the art world, Samyukta’s career began by sharing her digital illustrations on Instagram, where a few viral posts transformed her passion into a profession.

Unlike many artists who draw direct inspiration from their hometowns, Samyukta’s work is shaped more by personal experiences than by Chennai itself. However, she acknowledges the uniqueness of growing up in a South Indian city, where certain visual elements inevitably make their way into her work.

As the digital landscape expands, Samyukta sees immense potential rather than threats from emerging technologies like AI. While concerns about automation replacing artistic roles exist, she believes these tools will ultimately enhance creativity rather than diminish it. With digital art gaining recognition, she notes that there are no gender barriers in the field—artists today are valued for their work rather than their identity.

Talking about the women who inspire her, Samyukta names Zaha Hadid, a Iraqi-British architect and artist. “Zaha Hadid is an interesting woman. She is an iconic architect, and she’s known not for being a woman but for her work. So that is something I respect.” Despite digital art’s increasing presence, she grapples with its positioning in the traditional fine art world, where physicality is still paramount. However, she remains excited about new ways to showcase digital work beyond screens.

Looking ahead, Samyukta envisions larger-scale projects that merge digital and physical experiences, proving that the future of art is boundless and ever-evolving.