Enthralled by the symbolism in Hinduism and nature, Hiren’s (aka Hirashe) work expands using the wider technological advances of our present digital world. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he develops an artistic practice that articulates the relationship between his personal reality, memory, and dreamscape through formed ethereal experiences in imagery. Throughout his body of work, stories unfold in liquefied chrome and earth-toned colour. In each digital output, flat pixels trace a biodiversity he could either belong or tend to. Resonating with mystifying conundrums of ‘identity’, Hiren views the self as a “venn diagram of many micro overlapping circles” with which he embraces the ambiguity of worlds, looking for new and inventive means to aid his artistic direction and quest of life.

A lot of your work marries the hyper-tech with nature and spirituality. Tell us a little bit about that.

Being brought up in a Hindu household, I've always been exposed to its ancient epics, imagery and symbolism. Although I'm still exploring my relationship with the religion, it has definitely embedded my curiosity with spirituality. My current work takes a lot of influence from the spiritual and visual aspect of Hinduism and forms a relationship with my current interest in nature and technology. I'd like to view my collage work as digital hieroglyphs– collaging elements from the digital world and photos I take on my iPhone to form transcendent imagery that intertwines personal reality, memories and dreams.

You are based out of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in a creative scene that is very much still in its early stages. How do you feel this has influenced the way you create and your career growth?

I see the scene being in the process of development as an opportunity to bring new ideas/influences to the table. A lot of the youth here are bringing in new sounds/visuals that aren’t fully digestible to the masses and it's exciting to see how it will unfold or steer the direction of the creative scene as a whole. I was fortunate to be surrounded by some really talented artists early on; they put me on the path to my current direction and their work still inspires me till today.

You’re an architecture graduate, has those teachings found its way into your other artistic pursuits? How so?

Yes I do find myself applying principles and elements of architecture in my work. When it comes to architecture, it's about thinking cohesively. The challenge comes in whilst considering various ideas, experiences, functions, etc. and combining them seamlessly into a spatial experience. I try to apply those teachings in my work by looking at my various personal pursuits as a collective whole with a cohesive direction and experience. I'd like to think my work exists in this personal realm I'm building.

You do commission pieces - do you feel your process differs between creating for you and creating for someone else professionally?

Yes there is definitely a difference. When it comes to doing commission pieces, it's more restrictive in the sense that I would have to consider the thoughts and ideas of the clients before executing the work. Whereas when it comes to my personal work, I have complete freedom to express my ideas however I want which is nice.

Do you think having a strong visual identity is important? How have you achieved that through your own work?

Not necessarily. I’m still figuring out my own visual identity, to be honest. But I do think people put too much thought into forming an overarching visual identity that they end up neglecting the importance of a singular standalone piece of work. I feel this is true especially in the instagram age where feed aesthetics form the first impression of an artist rather than their individual work. Figuring out one’s visual identity is definitely a process and should be explored through research, reflection and experiences.

I see a lot of cyberpunk influence in your oeuvre with the use of chrome and style of photograph. cyberpunk can be regarded as a sister to futurism. What do you think futuristic means in the 2020s? Can we create newness when it calls for a complete blanket of originality? Otherwise can it be called futuristic at all?

I think futuristic is hard to define because aesthetically everything is connected out there in the digital world. People are taking things from the past and different aspects of the present then portraying it as futuristic. We cannot determine what is futuristic because it's subjective to our individual realities. We definitely cannot create newness under the blanket of originality because everything has already been done– we can instead contextualise our work through our own individual experiences and voice.

What’s your favourite project that you have worked on?

I’d have to say my recent collages. Most of my older work has just been exploration of aesthetics. I definitely put in more thought in my recent work and I'm really attached to them. Each piece reflects a mixture of personal memories, dreams and feelings of a certain time.

As someone who has explored the creative scene in Malaysia, I find a much more community-based initiative in the East as compared to the West. I’d like to ask you, how do you feel about hyper-individualism in the current creative scenes globally?
My global view of the creative scene mostly comes from an online perspective. On a surface level people would think the East has a strong collective mindset in comparison to the West, which isn’t exactly the case. The scene here (Malaysia) is more community based right now because it is still in its developing stage but that does not necessarily mean social bubbles/ hyper-individualism do not exist. I personally feel community based initiatives are very important especially in smaller/developing scenes. It provides support and exposure for younger artists and ultimately helps the growth and the economy of the creative scene.

Is having an identity synonymous with being successful in the current art world?

Yes I do think so. Identity and art come as a package. I personally feel in this day and age, the closest we’ll get to ‘originality’ will be through identity and expression. I guess that’s why we’re seeing a trend in the current art world where people are looking toward the East and other diaspora initiatives to find perspectives in art.

How do you place yourself within the realm of ‘identity’?

Identity is a complex subject especially in a multicultural country such as Malaysia. I'm a Malaysian by birth but of Sri Lankan ethnicity. I view my sense of identity as a venn diagram consisting of many micro overlapping circles. I'd like to think these overlapping identities shape my view on things and give me a unique perspective to explore through my work in the future.

What does the future hold for you and your creative practice? Are you currently working on anything exciting?

To be honest with the current circumstances of the world, I have no idea what the future might hold for me. I'm trying my best to focus on the present and continue developing myself as a creative

Would you kindly leave us with an artist you are currently loving?

Some of the people that inspire me on a daily basis are my close friends and frequent collaborators: Philip Koh, Pang Hei, Syafiq Deen, Sheldon Roy, Brenda Chan, Khadijah Mirzan, Farhan Fauzi, Alisya Fairuz and Kelly Lim. They’re all creatives from different sectors that continue to shape my understanding of the world– our conversations give me a wider perspective on life.

As for artists I admire, my current favourites are Intermission, Alisya Fairuz and Zoe Kan.