Riyal Life: Surreal Satire & AI Commentary
I use AI to remix Indian reality, blending satire with our daily chaos. These aren't just images; they're stories about living in the glitch.
A werewolf wearing an 'ONLINE AF' cap parties with friends. This is from my 'Riyal Life' series, where I drop surreal characters into everyday Indian situations to create funny and strange images.
A vintage talk show still from my 'Riyal Life' series, where a host interviews a robot. I use this format to ask philosophical questions about AI and consciousness with a touch of retro, meme-like humor.
The Great Stokasmo, a magician in a parrot costume, pulls a scroll that reads 'As a Large Language Model...'. This piece satirizes our perception of AI as a magical, all-knowing entity.
A woman in a red raincoat that says 'IT'S ME AND ADRAK CHAI VERSUS THE APOCALYPSE'. Part of my 'Rainquotes' series, which uses fashion and humor to comment on surviving the everyday chaos of urban life.
Another 'Riyal Talk Only' segment, this time with an alien guest discussing 'Are we alone?'. This series uses a familiar news debate format to explore sci-fi themes with deadpan humor.
A street vendor stall selling t-shirts with the slogan '100% RIYAL ART ONLY'. This is a playful, self-referential piece from my 'Riyal Life' series, commenting on authenticity in the age of AI.
A satirical comic about our contradictory views on technology. This is the kind of pointed commentary I enjoy creating, using a simple visual to make a sharp observation about human behavior.
A chrome gargoyle perches on a billboard featuring the 'stonks' meme guy. This image blends gothic horror, internet culture, and corporate messaging into a single, surreal urban night scene.
A rusty, abandoned spaceship is graffitied with the question, 'WHEN DO WE GET TO THE FUTURE?'. This piece captures a sense of cynical hope, a key theme in my work that questions our slow progress towards a promised future.
A man levitates above the ground in Mumbai, observed by onlookers. This series, 'a moment of lightness', introduces a touch of the magical and surreal into the dense reality of the city.
About Riyal Life: Surreal Commentary & Satire
I don't just generate and forget. Every piece in the 'Riyal Life' series undergoes manual post-processing in Photoshop to fix those classic AI glitches like distorted hands or eyes. When you commission a visual, you’re getting a high-fidelity, 4K file that’s ready for print or social, not a raw draft that needs fixing.
Beyond the Prompt
Most people think AI art is just a prompt and a prayer. It isn't. When I create a piece for 'Riyal Life' or a brand project, I treat it like a digital painting. I start with the narrative first—what is the joke? What is the cultural tension? Only after I have the story do I fire up the tools.
Why 'Riyal Life' Works for Brands
We live in a world of bland, stock-photo fatigue. Brands come to me because they want to break the pattern. Whether it’s an editorial illustration for a tech newsletter or a campaign bundle that needs to look like a fever dream, my work cuts through the noise because it feels lived-in. It reflects our actual, messy, tech-obsessed Indian lives.
The Workflow
- Concepting: We start with your core message. I provide 3 initial style directions.
- The Glitch Fix: AI often makes mistakes with anatomy and text. I clean that up manually. You never get a 'blobby' hand.
- Upscaling: All deliverables are 4K+. If you need a billboard, we go higher.
- Typography: I integrate the text, so you don't have to hire a separate designer to slap a font over my work later.
If you want images that make people stop scrolling and actually think, let's talk. We can build something that feels weird, human, and absolutely distinct.
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