Appa thinks in logic, I think in colour: Akhil Anand

Akhil Anand, 14-year-old son of chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, is gearing up for his debut solo art exhibition in Chennai next month.

Viswanathan Anand's son Akhil is all of 14 and preparing for his first solo art exhibition in Chennai next month.

Titled Morphogenesis, the show draws from Indian folk traditions and natural patterns like Fibonacci spirals and Turing designs.

Although his father is a grandmaster, chess is a small part of Akhil's world. "Appa does not give advice, but he listens," he tells us. adding, "For one painting. We used a move from his game and turned it into a design. He thinks in logic. I think in colour."

Having trained with Chennai-based art educator Diana Satish since he was nine-years-old, Akhil counts Indian folk and tribal traditions such as Warli, Gond, Kalighat, Madhubani, Cheriyal and Pichwai among his inspirations.

His upcoming showcase, called Morphogenesis, mixes several worlds together. One piece re-imagines the Chakravyuh from the Mahabharata as a spinning vortex, while another places Gond-style animals inside spirals.

When asked about the themes of his work, the young artist shares, "I first heard the word Fibonacci (Geometric spirals) during the pandemic. Then I started seeing it all around me. I read more and came across Turing patterns (introduced by mathematician Alan Turing). I realised there was something very beautiful about how nature organises itself. That became the starting point for my show."