Noopur Choksi shows how commercial success and artistic integrity needn't fight

Want to work for big brands yet still create game-changing and thought-provoking art? It sounds like a circle that can't be squared, but the work of Noopur Choksi suggests otherwise.

A visual designer and illustrator from India, she's currently based in Baltimore, USA. With a passion for creating immersive brand experiences and emotive multimedia narratives, her work reflects her experimentation with typography, narratives, and image-making.

Working for big-name clients including Google, Paypal, Bandcamp, Disney and Fanta, she uses visualisation to externalise the often intangible, energetic, emotional environments of her subjects. She gravitates towards stories that depict a surrealistic and intimate representation of human nature.

Generating discourse

Noopur graduated in 2016 with a BA in Graphic Design from the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad, India, and this year completed an MFA in Illustration Practice from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).

Music, science, drag, fashion, and narratives of feminine power inspire her work. She strives to create visuals that challenge perception, push boundaries, and are not afraid to be strong, unapologetic, and layered in their interpretations.

"I like to think of creative expression as a complex human emotion that empowers our ability to experience, introspect, imagine, communicate and make sense of the world," she explains.

"The process of design contextualises artistic expression into meaningful visual solutions that can convey information and ideas or generate discourse. I believe my illustration practice lies at the intersection of art and design."

Exploring the grey areas

Illustration, to her, is "a process of dissection and discovery, exploring vulnerabilities and fragilities as transformative experiences [...] I strive to expand visual thinking, layering meanings to challenge perception. I merge artistic disciplines like music, fashion, and animation into my work, aiming for depth and engagement beyond the two-dimensional."

Central to her art is a commitment to social dialogue and cultural shaping, confronting themes of self-perception, gender, and power dynamics. She challenges regressive norms and society-imposed stereotypes, celebrating complexities and promoting inclusivity.

"Through my work, I explore grey areas of societal expectations, adding vibrancy and warmth to digital and analogue mediums," says Noopur, whose work has been recognised by the American Illustration Awards. "I aim to foster visual literacy, encouraging reflection and connection, addressing contemporary issues with a conscientious approach."

In short, Noopur is not just making pretty pictures; she's out to change the world.

"Informed creative expression can address modern anxieties and drive positive change," she believes. "My illustrative practice seeks to develop a multimodal approach to visual communication, emphasising self-awareness and reminding us that 'looking' is not always the same as 'seeing'."