Illustrator and photographer Vimal Chandran frequently travels throughout India, gathering inspiration from the country’s vibrant pop culture and social politics. The self-taught artist has been painting since childhood and became a full-time visual artist after leaving his job as a software engineer.

“I wanted to do more on my own, so I thought art was the right medium to express my ideas, my opinions and possibilities,” he says.

Chandran creates dream worlds through swathes of ink and watercolor and then infuses the imagery with poetry and meaning. He calls himself a “transcendent artist,” who captures imagination with color. The messages within his work urge the audience “to look at the social and political injustices happening in and around us through the lens of art.”

See more of Chandran’s work in ABN’s Fall 2013 “30 under 30” feature.