As the art industry continues to evolve, more and more young people are finding ways to engage with the medium and start their careers. For many, this means hopping onto digital trends, like the rise of Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and their sometimes lucrative price tags. Other young artists are sticking to more traditional work, including Nikheel Iyer, a hearing-impaired art student who hopes to one day become an independent artist. For Iyer and many others, art is a chance to express a life’s story creatively and overcome obstacles.

“There’s so much that you can do in this medium, the possibilities are really endless,” he explains. “It’s a freeing space and one where everyone is equal. My being a hearing-impaired artist from a foreign country, doesn’t make my art any less valuable than anyone else’s. Everybody is even, it’s just a matter of the quality of your work.”

Contrary to popular belief, even if that work is amazing, it might not always net the big sale price tags seen in your stereotypical art auction or even on the NFT market. For many, getting into the traditional art space isn’t about a pursuit of just money, but more so about passion. Art does something for every artist operating in the medium and for Iyer, it allows him to communicate freely with others, as he lives a life that often makes that in itself quite challenging.

“A lot of people ask you if you’re gonna create the next big valuable piece, but I don’t think that’s an artists’ actual goal,” he explains. “Of course you want your work to be appreciated, of course, you want it to be purchased, but it doesn’t have to be as part of an investment plan. We want people to like and connect with the work.”

Even with the lack of a guarantee for monetary success, Iyer and other artists find value in the strength of the medium. There will always be creatives operating in this space and that leaves the door open for evolutions of the medium’s profitability, which is something that will always attract buyers.

“Art is a tool that transcends all barriers of communication, language, culture, and vocabulary,” he says. “It is here to stay, now and forever, waiting to be explored and expanded to greater heights and depths of human emotions and experiences. Human angst and universal issues of the self and our cosmos – all need expression in unique ways, every day.”

Iyer’s favored mediums include Neomodern, Abstract, and Conceptual Art. Japanese comic art culture has also impacted him. These paintings are popular among younger artists and clients, resulting in a market that isn’t reliant on investment purchases alone, to sustain the artists’ livelihood. People often buy this form of art to express who they are as individuals rather than to show how much money they have in their bank account.

“It’s the kind of stuff that looks cool in a bedroom or an office,” Iyer explains. “It still has that expression of your typical art piece, but it’s modern to the point where it can blend in with the rest of a room or whatever layout you’re working with.”

Iyer’s themes revolve around human emotions, strengths, and flaws. His work also delves into a variety of personalities that are on the verge of erupting from the human mind. All of this is connected to his personal experiences in some way. He, like many other creative creators, is able to express himself more freely because he isn’t solely concerned with getting money from his art.

Many artists measure their success in terms of the quality of their work rather than the quantity of money they make. Iyer has used art to help him overcome his hearing loss and communicate effectively with others. Despite the hurdles that life throws at him on a daily basis, art helps him to show what he is capable of.