Redefining the Modern Indian Aesthetic with Aditya Damle
Step into the world of Aditya Damle’s illustrations, and you’ll find stories that feel at once familiar and futuristic. His visuals fuse ancient myths, science fiction, and street culture- shifting from the neon charge of cyberpunk to the quiet resonance of folklore. At the intersection of timeless legends and speculative futures, his craft unfolds as expansive, layered, and vibrantly alive.
Illustrations for Optikal Asylum made by Aditya
Aditya is a Creative Director, Graphic Designer, an Illustrator, and the co-founder of DAM, a design studio steadily making its mark in the graphic design space. Over the past six years, he has carved out a niche at the crossroads of mythology, pop culture, and speculative design, while also mentoring the next wave of designers at institutions like MITID Pune, École Bangalore, UPES Dehradun, and KJ Somaiya Mumbai.
Cover art for Matcha a song by OAFF and Savera created by Aditya
With a portfolio spanning collaborations with Adidas, Hyundai, Jolies by Aditya Birla, Kingfisher, Raja Kumari, KING, Oaff, and Gurbax, each project has added a new dimension to his design practice.
Aditya’s earliest drawings were of heroes, gods, and monsters- figures that loomed large in the stories of the Mahabharata, Ramayan, Greek legends, and modern pantheons like DC and Marvel.
Illustrations by Aditya from a series titled Anthropomorphs
“I was always inspired by the scale and intricacies of these stories, and have always been fascinated by bringing out character, relationships, and narrative tension through visual mediums.”
Alongside gods and superheroes, dinosaurs held a special place in his sketchbooks. “Dinosaurs felt like the closest things to actual dragons,” he recalls. What began as a childhood obsession eventually evolved into a deeper curiosity about biology, evolution, and paleontology. These influences continue to echo in his work today with dinosaurs often showing up as visual motifs- a nod to the evolving discoveries in paleo-research.
Prehistoric Parodies- a whimsical illustration series blending dinosaurs with modern campaign style humor created by Aditya
His years at MIT Institute of Design (MITID) shaped not only his design sensibilities but also his philosophy towards collaboration. “My mentors instilled in me the value of giving back,” Aditya says, which is why teaching has become such an integral part of his journey. Through mentoring, he not only nurtures new talent but also finds collaborators- students who eventually join him on projects, bringing fresh perspectives into his practice.
“Working with young and hungry talent makes me want to challenge myself and keep reinventing.”
Photo Credits: Designare and Aditya Tiwari
This emphasis on shared growth carried into his professional trajectory. What began as an independent gamble- leaving the safety of a studio job- grew into the founding of DAM, alongside his closest friends Anisa and Adarsh.
Holi illustrations created by Aditya for Hyundai
“I wanted the flexibility to choose the kind of projects I worked on and have more creative freedom.”
Beyond DAM, he also co-founded Studio AndTropy, a creative collective that unites three studios- DAM Design, The Raven Writing Desk, and Staccato Sounds. Their goal: to break away from traditional corporate models and build a practice rooted in collaboration, shared ownership, and openness.
“Our vision has always been about building collaborative environments, shared ownership, and an open-door policy. We’ve always tried to break the mold of the stereotypical corporate agency and build something everyone feels ownership towards.”
One of Aditya’s most striking collaborations came with Footlocker x Adidas Originals. Commissioned for the launch of Footlocker’s first exclusive store, Aditya was asked to create two artworks around the iconic Sambas and Trefoil logo. What emerged was Future Streets- a vibrant series where Jack Kirby’s Fourth World energy fused with mythological and sci-fi worlds. Customers could personalize tees and totes with these artworks, walking away with not just merchandise but a piece of speculative storytelling.
Illustrations and on-site photographs from FootLocker x Adidas collaboration with Aditya
“Each piece combines vibrant colors, bold designs, and imaginative worlds, capturing a future where street style meets celestial energy.”
Aditya describes his process as narrative-first. He begins with rough sketches and scribbles, followed by referencing using 3D models or photographs of poses, and finally layering futuristic elements to create the piece.
Process and Illustration of Bappasauras
“Once the baseline art is done, I fill in the colors and then spend a good amount of time adding and subtracting colors until I’m satisfied with the perfect combination”
If Future Streets was about myth meeting street culture, his collaboration with Raja Kumari was about myth meeting stage spectacle. Tasked with designing visuals for her NH7 stage performance, Aditya took inspiration from Kumari Kandam (Lemuria), the mythical sunken civilization. The result was a futuristic cyberpunk world that rooted itself in Indian mythology.
Visuals from DAM Design’s work with Raja Kumari for the NH7 stage
“It was one of the most formidable projects I’ve done,”
There was just one catch: Aditya had never animated before. Taking on the project meant teaching himself animation as the deadline loomed. Guided by art director Sam Madhu and encouraged by Raja Kumari’s openness to experimentation, he pushed through the steep learning curve.
Timelapse and Animation loops from Raja Kumari for the NH7 stage
“Many mistakes were made and many challenges were overcome, [but], it taught me to say yes to opportunities even if you don’t feel ready.”
Aditya thrives on stepping outside his comfort zone. His self-initiated project, Make UFC Posters Great Again, sees him designing monthly artworks for every major UFC pay-per-view. From UFC 311 onwards, he has challenged himself to explore new styles with each poster, testing consistency, discipline, and range.
Make UFC Posters Great Again artwork by Aditya
“Staying active and consistent, and actually seeing a project through rather than abandoning it midway, has been my biggest learning”
These personal explorations, he believes, are essential. They allow him to play and experiment in ways client work sometimes cannot. “Without personal artistic exploration, I would feel creatively stifled,” he admits.
As someone who straddles both illustration and graphic design, Aditya approaches branding projects with the eye of a creative director rather than just an illustrator.
Jollies by Aditya Birla festive brand packaging designed by DAM Design
“I don’t like to box myself in, and I think this is a blessing when it comes to authentically giving clients what they are looking for. It allows me to think of bigger picture through the lens of my sensibilities, not the other way around.”
Clients often come to him specifically for illustration, but his design practice extends beyond aesthetics. Whether he’s reimagining mythological motifs for mainstream audiences or crafting concept-driven visuals for niche contexts, his ability to adapt styles allows him to explore varied visual languages.
Grasslands festival identity designed by Aditya and the team at DAM Design
“For a long time I worried that I didn’t have one [style]. But over the years I realised that I stagnate when I work in one style for too long.”
Where does it all come from? The answer lies in the eclectic range of his inspirations- travel, books, games, comics, music, and even paleontology. Aditya describes himself as a “nerd” who loves deep-diving into historical texts, sci-fi lore, and visual archives.
“Often, in the strangest moments, while walking, doing dishes, or cooking , you have a eureka moment, because your subconscious has been processing everything in the background.”
As for what lies ahead, Aditya is excited about stepping into murals, VR, and mixed reality- pushing his design practice into new dimensions, both literally and figuratively. Collaboration remains central to his philosophy, and he continues to explore independent projects with fellow creators, while nurturing DAM Design as a space for shared growth and experimentation.
From sketching gods and dinosaurs as a child to building expansive cyber-mythological worlds for Adidas and Raja Kumari: at the heart of Aditya Damle’s practice lies storytelling, crafted through visuals that honor the past yet push relentlessly towards the future. His career is not just about creating art but about fostering communities, collaborations, and spaces for others to grow.
As he puts it, “Sometimes you just have to bet on yourself- and trust that the work will follow.”
On that note we come to end of this article with Aditya Damle. We thank him for his time and wish him all the very best for the future.
You can stay updated with his work and follow him on the socials below
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Aditya Damle
