Moving Forward With Paarshav Shah
Paarshav Shah is different from your typical visual artist. His work reaches many fields, blending math, science, and art together. Paarshav earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis on architecture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago this year. Originally from Mumbai, Paarshav enjoyed making art since his childhood and was fascinated by aircraft carriers he saw on TV shows. “I had an obsession for the big and for the machine,” he says. But Paarshav never took art seriously until the end of high school since he felt there was a negative stigma around artistic careers where he grew up. He always had succeeded in and enjoyed math in school, but he knew he had a different destiny in store for him. Luckily, his parents gave him their support to follow his passions once Paarshav was able to show his commitment to his craft, and his college counselor recommended that he apply for art and design programs.
Paarshav uses his architectural knowledge when creating art. His mediums range from sculpture and mixed media to painting and drawing. He began taking more of an interest in art professionally after being featured in his first exhibition in 2022. There, he displayed a mixed media on paper piece, leading him to create more drawings. Recently, Paarshav has been experimenting with color for the first time in his pieces and wants to keep trying new techniques since graduating. He found this drive at SAIC, where students were encouraged to experiment, try fresh ideas, and make mistakes. Paarshav explains he has high expectations for his artistic process and wants to keep moving forward with new material. “I never want to re-use old work. Ideally, I want a new set of work for each exhibition,” he says.
Darkstar | 2024 | Steel | 30" x 12" x 12"
Paarshav believes that architecture is a form of visual art, but, when economic restrictions are applied, it takes away from its artistic aspects. Originally, his architectural style spawned from the influences of Bauhaus and Kandinsky. Now he has evolved to mid-century styles after being influenced by designs in the movie Incredibles (2004) and the designs of the TWA Hotel. He has used Biodesign in many of his recent works, and his comprehension of geometry, physics, and topology has allowed him to explore complex, organic shapes in his structures. Paarshav explained how parametric design allows him to work with these usual shapes and thinks that, eventually, architects will be given more freedom to construct with complex geometry. Architecture is a slow industry; however, he is happy with how the field is progressing and likes to take his time assessing his projects.
California Sunset | 2023 | Pen on Paper | 20" x 30"
Paarshav says he could never make a choice between pursuing architecture and visual art and finds comfort in the balance between them. “Each one inspires me when the other one is lacking,” he says. His favorite artworks were made during his architecture finals week, and when preparing for a gallery show, he used architecture as an escape from stress. “If I ever want to think about my artwork in a larger reality of things, I bring it into an architectural lens, and if I want to take my architecture out of reality, I make art. Hopefully, someday, they can connect.” Paarshav’s architectural designs and visual art do share some similarities in themes. The chaotic nature of the universe and the way phenomena in our universe operate and interact inspire him. He likes to show the symbiotic relationships between nature and space and seeks to find equilibrium between the two stark opposites to form a narrative in his work.
Binary Boxes | Acrylic, MDF, Chipboard, PLA | Rhinoceros 3D, Adobe Illustrator
Paarshav is still seeking to develop a full narrative in his artwork. Devon Vander Voort is currently helping him define himself as an artist. He is working with the DVV team to expand his narrative as an artist and find the details that make him stand out. Paarshav has plans to exhibit new pieces that are in progress, but to reach that goal, he needs to find out what story the artwork is telling the viewer. Paarshav describes his ideas as “large masses of free-floating thoughts.” “How can you channel and package that into a narrative that describes the artwork?” he questions. When asked why he only wants to work on exhibiting new artworks with DVV, Paarshav says he lives by Edna Mode’s motto, “Never look back, darling. It distracts from the now.” He is concepting how to experiment with new materials and has plans to work with retroreflectors and Vantablack in his new pieces to create an interactive experience for the viewers (this interactivity is also reflected in his architectural designs.)
Paarshav is now planning a new exhibition with DVV which will be New York. When asked about other large plans for the future, he says that he does not want to set any expectations career-wise for himself and is focused on what’s the best work that can be done right now. “At the end of the day, we have to do the most that’s in our power and take the path of least resistance.”
See more of Paarshav Shah’s work here.
