About Apaala

Born and raised in India (freshly imported US citizen now), I’m a classical Bharatanatyam dancer and a bioinformatics engineer. I’ve always been creative—whether I’m building pipelines or making art. Through my work, I explore my culture, my disdain for humanity, and my perspective on the world.

I like to wrestle with big, messy themes like colorism and colonialism—but sometimes, I just paint birds. Because I like birds.

Like many artists, I detoured into science—partly because I enjoy research, but mostly because I like paying rent. Now in my 30s, I’m coming back to prove to my younger self that being an artist and being successful aren’t mutually exclusive. Also, let’s be real: having a job means I can afford nice paints.

email: thebluedesi@gmail.com

instagram: @thebluedesi