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Inkbrushnme started in 2007 as Kadam’s solo project,but it got professional direction only by 2008. The scope of the work began to gradually widen from being just plain illustration to broader conceptual work. To accommodate the shrinking deadlines and the complicated projects,Kadam started roping in illustrators and other creative friends as collaborators. “While working on an animation project,I realised that I need to learn the other aspects as well,like story-telling and some technical details,” says Kadam. He then took up a job at Virgin Comics,and got a chance to work on Deepak Chopra’s Buddha. “That was the greatest thing that happened to me,” he smiles.

Inkbrushnme is a sort of culmination as well as starting point of this journey. Illustration is the “spine” of all that’s involved here. Be it an advertising project,or a comic book commitment,the focus should be on visual art,Kadam says. The collective is essentially formed of two people,but its collaborations are free-wheeling and highly flexible. Kadam and Kamat are currently involved in an “audio-visual experiment” that pools in much music,for which they have absorbed a Mumbai-based friend. “We sit together and jam for it,” he says. Another collaboration is with Mumbai-based street artist,Sachin Shetty,called Nova Collective,which works on installations and UV-related art works. This music-cum painting combination performed at the recent Surf Festival held in Orissa.

Ironically,though the work of the studio is still flirting with sustainability,it has mostly relied on Facebook and personal networking for clients. On New Year’s eve,Inkbrushnme had a paint party with some of the friend-collaborators. “We wanted people to connect,so we invited our FB friends for a party. We all love painting,and we all love music,so we had both of it going,” says Kadam.

Kamat was a Goa-based designer-illustrator before he quit his job and joined Kadam three months ago. Together they work to create work that has the right amount of positive energy infused in it. “We believe in creating art where positive energy is at its epitome. It’s not about quantity for us. So while grooming up an office space recently,we illustrated it as joyful and not depressive,something that people working there won’t get bored of,” says Kadam.

They are also regularly dipping into meagre savings to support a ‘travel studio’,which has taken them to McLeodganj,Benaras,Bhimtal and more places. “We just go there,sit at some spots and start our work. It is amazing how many interested people we end up meeting,” says Kadam.