Nikheel Aphale is Mumbai-born calligraphy artist whose fascination with alphabets began in childhood. A postgraduate in Graphic Design from the National Institute of Design (NID), India, he reimagines the Indian script Devanagari through contemporary abstract art. Deeply connected to its...
Read MoreNikheel Aphale is Mumbai-born calligraphy artist whose fascination with alphabets began in childhood. A postgraduate in Graphic Design from the National Institute of Design (NID), India, he reimagines the Indian script Devanagari through contemporary abstract art. Deeply connected to its sounds and visuals since birth, Devanagari represents his cultural identity. In his work, alphabets move beyond their linguistic context and transformed into visual entities, becoming powerful vessels for global conversations around spirituality, humanity, and empathy.
Nikheel has held solo exhibitions and participated in several group shows, and prestigious international events, including a special project in collaboration with Hampi Art Labs and the India Paper Triennale, Kalligraphie, a travelling exhibition in France, One Asia Project, Taipei, the Asian Calligraphy Festival, the World Calligraphy Biennale, and the Jikji International Calligraphy Exhibition in South Korea, where he was awarded ‘Excellence in Calligraphy.’ His works are in corporate and private collections worldwide and a part of an installation at the gallery of India’s new Parliament building.
Nikheel’s work has been featured in leading Indian and international publications, including 108 Portraits of Indian Design by Dr. Alka Pande, Robb Report, Home grown, Vogue, Juggernaut, Platform, Kyoorius, Letter Arts Review, Slanted Magazine, and Typism, as well as on NDTV. He designed the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam title for the G20 logo. A frequent speaker at calligraphy events, he also teaches at design institutions across India. Nikheel currently lives and works in Bangalore.
