INNOCENCE TO INNOVATION – Switching Chairs

Our lives are woven from stories—memories of childhood, moments of solitude, and an ever-evolving world. Growing up in Rourkela, my days were filled with nature’s simplicity. My father, a pattern maker at a steel plant, built me a small wooden chair and asked what color I wanted. Without hesitation, I chose

 Gulabi (pink)—perhaps drawn from the roses in our garden. That chair became my throne of imagination, where I played fearlessly with earthworms and dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot.

During the stillness of the COVID-19 lockdown, memories of that pink chair resurfaced. The world was confined—thinking, waiting, adapting—while outside, animals roamed free. This contrast inspired my hybrid beings, part human, part animal, seated on symbolic chairs. The chair became more than an object; it embodied authority, longing, and transformation.

Artist Jasbinder Singh

Over the years, I have witnessed a dramatic shift—from an era without television or computers to a world shaped by artificial intelligence. As we embrace technology, we drift from innocence, becoming mechanical, detached from nature. My art captures this transition, juxtaposing childhood purity with a surreal, hybrid future.

In my work, the chair is not just furniture—it is an observer, absorbing the essence of those who sit on it, whether a child, teacher, businessman, or leader. It reflects power, vulnerability, greed, and wisdom.

Art, design, and technology must coexist with nature in balance. As we move forward, I ask: Who truly holds the power—the person sitting on the chair, or the chair itself?