Spotlight on: Artist and DJ, Ashna Malik

Ashna Malik’s usual palette of colour lends a certain identity to her paintings, warping reality with immersive distortions that spill beyond the canvas. By day, she's an artist; by night, she's a DJ blending disco, house, and electronic beats with the same vibrant energy as her studio creations.

After completing a painting course at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2020, and working at a gallery in New York for a year. In 2021, Malik returned to India to kick start her own creative journey in New Delhi. From successful collaborations with Johnny Walker at Lollapalooza to workshops at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, the burgeoning creative balances her life between painting and music with formidable ease.

Ahead, Malik shares insights from her creative journey and discusses how she blends her passion for both art and music.

Le Mill: Who is Ashna Malik?

Ashna Malik: I’m a New Delhi-based artist. I have been painting and drawing formally since high school, which is what made me decide to study this in college as well. The first piece in this body of work was created in college in 2019 after a lot of exploration to understand my language, my ideas, and what I wanted to say through my work.

Le Mill: What is your creative language? The play of perceptions, multiple realities, immersion, and distortion sounds intriguing. Tell us more about your vision.

Ashna Malik: I've consistently resonated with colour and the idea of illusion, or playing with perception. While open to change, this is my current focus. Illusions and perceptions emerged in my work when I realised how surface-level our understanding of the world often is, revealing a reality vastly different from the truth.

Le Mill: And, as if this wasn’t enough, you're also a DJ. Does your music take inspiration from the art you create? And how do you strike a balance between the two?

Ashna Malik: I wouldn’t say there is direct inspiration, but the two worlds really come together. Music really drives my work; it gets the creative juices flowing. So I listen to a lot of music while painting, and a lot of the time I end up playing the same music during my sets that I listen to while painting.

Maintaining a routine is crucial. One job involves solitary studio work, focusing inward, while the other is interactive with late-night socializing. This balance can be draining, so I ensure returning to the studio promptly, exercising, meditating, and re-energising.

Le Mill: Tell us about the all-too-elusive creative process. Where do you find inspiration?

Ashna Malik: My creative process varies; sometimes, spontaneous bursts of ideas come as visions right before sleeping or upon waking. Mostly, they’re like a muscle I must constantly exercise through sketching, writing, brainstorming, and building habits. The key is creating a routine: getting up every day, showing up at your desk and studio, and continually exercising that creative muscle.

I feel most inspired when I’m surrounded by the creations of others. I’m constantly blown away by what the human mind is capable of creating and thinking. I’m also inspired by nature. It seems to awaken more possibilities within me and fill me with great energy. The vastness reminds me of all that I’m capable of and that there's so much still left to discover.

Le Mill: What aided and supported you through this journey?

Ashna Malik: It can be a very isolating career, with days spent working alone. People are constantly competing with one another, and there’s so much comparison. So you need people who believe in you. I’ve been lucky enough to have the most supportive environment—my parents, my sister, my friends, and now even peers in this field who constantly build me up.

Le Mill: What makes for a good creative collaboration?

Ashna Malik: I've done several collaborations, the most recent being with Walkers and Co. for Lollapalooza. It was an exciting opportunity, combining my love for art and music on a massive platform. However, my most memorable collaboration was with the Jio Coffee Festival, where I painted a La Marzocco coffee machine. Everything that could go wrong did, but those experiences were hilarious and humbling, so I hang on to those lessons.

Le Mill: Can you tell us more about your solo show 'Lines of Enquiry' with Method Art at Kala Ghoda? Was this your first solo show?

Ashna Malik: About a year ago, I had my first solo show with Method Gallery, showcasing ideas and techniques I had been exploring since 2019. The mixed-media show featured paintings, laser-cut wood, and acrylic works. Seeing it curated was surreal, in stark contrast to viewing it daily in my studio. The feedback was overwhelming.