Illustrator Tanaya Khadke on Multidisciplinary Practice and the Evolving Creative Career

Key facts

• Tanaya Khadke is a visual artist and motion designer working across illustration, motion design, children's illustration, art direction, and visual art.
• She describes herself as a lifelong student of art and places thinking, thought-provoking ideas at the core of her practice.
• Her visual art uses colour, shape, and character to explore perspectives and observe scenes from unexpected angles, often around themes of community and celebration.
• In motion design she focuses on title sequences, narrative-driven motion pieces, branding content, and storytelling motion design.
• She began her career mastering motion design before expanding, concluding that strong design and motion go hand in hand.
• She treats medium — digital or hand-drawn — as a tool to serve the concept, with the idea always coming first.
• She argues that dedicated illustrators and designers are not outdated, since authentic, concept-driven craft is becoming rarer, calling it a badge of honour.
• She says art direction and the ability to give direction to a visual are gaining importance alongside making, and both will matter.
• Her work Medieval Tea is a brand identity and packaging design for a tea brand.
• Her editorial illustration New York depicts the city's vibrant spirit, with colour and character brightening gloomy streets.
• The full interview appears in the print edition of Issue 72 of CreativeGaga.