Hi, I am Rohit Soni!

A visual artist and thinker whose work lies at the intersection of spontaneous mark-making, storytelling, and inner exploration. For me, art is not a product—it is a way of being. It is freedom, meditation, and consciousness rendered visible. I use visual thinking as my native language—to process life, to hold space for chaos, and to bring people into deeper connection with themselves and the world around them."

As a visual storyteller and design thinker based in Delhi, India, my practice revolves around "visual harvesting"—translating complex ideas into accessible visual narratives. This approach has allowed me to engage diverse audiences, from corporate leaders to grassroots communities. Notably, I have captured the essence of a town hall meeting led by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella through real-time visual storytelling, transforming intricate discussions into engaging visual narratives. Additionally, I have summarized political speeches on large canvases during election campaigns, making complex political discourse more approachable.

Residencies for me are not just about artmaking, but about transformation — of space, self, and narrative. During my recent residency in Kashmir I created large-format works in conversation with local craftspeople, the landscape, and stories of resilience. I intend to bring this same spirit to Villa Swagatam: to observe deeply, listen intently, and create scrolls or visual stories that reflect the textures of place and people, much like I did as an artist-creator for Ashmolen museum, Oxford, UK.

Villa Swagatam represents the convergence of everything I value — cultural dialogue, poetic form, artistic solitude, and collaborative rhythm. My scroll-based work finds deep resonance with France’s literary-visual institutions, and this opportunity will allow me to refine a narrative form that transcends language, rooted in emotion, gesture, and lived moments.

During the residency, I aim to create a series of visual narratives that intertwine the cultural essence with my unique storytelling approach. Engaging with fellow artists and the local community, I hope to foster dialogues that transcend linguistic and cultural barriers, emphasising the universal language of art.

Whether in South Asia or France, I seek to engage communities, host participatory doodle sessions, and translate my internal reflections into poetic visual forms. This residency is not only a chance to produce new work — it is a chance to grow a language that’s more universal, more tactile, and more quietly radical.

Previous Work & Residencies (Summary)

Ash Creators: Creator-Artist for Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK 2023
Doodle Project, Kashmir, 2024 l Art to connect communities and people, Jammu & Kashmir 2024
Visual Narrative Project with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft HQ 2017
Political art collaborations for democratic election in India New Delhi 2019
Personal series: “Mind Jungle” – intuitive visual cartographies of inner life. 2016-2024
Gallery >>

Detailed Projects

1. Ash Creators: Featured Artist for Ashmolean Musuem, Oxford, UK. 2023

Screenshot 2025-05-22 at 5.05.51 PM.png (Copy)

Screenshot 2025-05-22 at 5.04.31 PM.png (Copy)

AshCreators: {Re-posted from official Ashmolean post} - Made in the Ashmolean by Rohit Soni: Thinking in layers, there’s inspiration at every turn in the Museum. Artist Rohit Soni transformed portraits, sculptures and spaces into playful illustrations. We asked Rohit about the power of doodling: “You need not to be an artist to be creative. One of the great advantages of doodling is its ability to enhance creativity and focus. When we engage in the rhythmic and repetitive motion of doodling, it can help us enter a state of flow, where our mind becomes fully absorbed in the present moment. This state of flow promotes creativity, as it allows ideas to flow freely and encourages new connections and insights to emerge. So, whenever you lift your pen to doodle, embrace the journey it takes you on and enjoy the limitless possibilities of creativity. Link >>

2. Doodle Project, Kashmir, 2024 l Art to connect communities and people

Helping People Doodle More: Studio Kilab is a multidisciplinary creative studio based in Kashmir exploring crafts, food, and sustainable living. The state of Kashmir is of unique importance to me because of its geopolitics and unrest in the past. The one-month residency was focused on conducting art workshops for the local community, doing live art in front of them, and learning from the local artisans like woodworkers and Pashmina weavers, their skills of intricacy and consistency.The exercises are designed to stimulate the mind with new ideas and spark new imagination for doodling.

3. Visual Harvesting: Transforming intricate discussions into engaging visual narratives.

Visual Harvesting: transforming Satya Nadella’s (CEO Microsoft) empowering message and vision into into engaging visual narrative through live doodling.
Microsoft HQ, India. More on Economic Times Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5OIIuqKun8