Riyal Life: Satirical AI Art and Cultural Commentary
I remix Indian reality into a digital glitch. This is where memes, satire, and the apocalypse collide.
A comic that captures the hypocrisy of how we view technology. This is the kind of sharp, satirical content I create to comment on modern culture.
"100% Riyal Talk Only." This series mimics the look of old Doordarshan talk shows to ask absurd, philosophical questions about AI and consciousness.
Another "Riyal Talk" episode, this time with an alien guest to discuss whether we are alone in the universe. The retro aesthetic and deadpan humor are key to the series.
"It's me and adrak chai versus the apocalypse." This "Rainquotes" series puts witty, relatable Indian phrases on raincoats, creating a line of conceptual fashion.
"Dystopia se hu bc." A more cynical and slang-heavy raincoat design, capturing the gallows humor of living in a difficult world.
"Hydrated as fuck." A simple, bold statement that's both a practical reminder and a funny piece of apparel design.
"My other car is a boat." A classic joke, made literal and relevant for a city that floods every year.
"Dooba dooba rehta hu. Literally." This raincoat quote is a play on a famous song, adapted for the monsoon season. It shows how I use pop culture references in my work.
A bride's mehendi with a circuit board design. This image from my "Riyal Life 2" series is a simple but powerful visual of tradition meeting technology.
A fan poster for the body horror film "The Substance." I create pop culture-inspired art that taps into current trends and conversations.
About Riyal Life: Satire, Memes & Social Commentary
My 'Riyal Life' series doesn't just generate random images. It uses specific Indian cultural touchpoints—like the absurdity of monsoon floods or our obsession with screens—to create a mirror for our daily reality. If you want a concept that doesn't just look cool but actually has something to say about the world we live in, this is the sandbox where we build it.
I started the 'Riyal Life' series because I was tired of AI art that felt hollow and disconnected from our actual lives. We are living in a weird intersection of ancient tradition and hyper-fast digital consumption, and that is where the magic (and the brainrot) happens.
Why Satire Works in AI
AI is often used to make things look perfect. I use it to make things look 'real' in the most uncomfortable, hilarious way possible. Whether it is mimicking the deadpan style of old-school talk shows for my 'Riyal Talk' series or plastering existential dread onto monsoon raincoats, the goal is the same: to stop people from scrolling and actually think for a second.
The Indofuturist Approach
This isn't just about memes. I apply the same rigorous world-building that goes into my 'Rocketganj' or 'Network Nagar' projects to these satirical pieces. If I am designing a raincoat quote or a digital comic, I am thinking about the typography, the lighting, and the specific slang that hits home. I am interested in building a visual language that feels distinctly Indian—not a copy of Western sci-fi tropes.
How We Can Work Together
If you are a brand or a fellow creator, you likely don't want a generic ad. You want a vibe. We can collaborate on:
- Satirical Campaigns: Using my 'Riyal Life' aesthetic to market products that need a bit of edge.
- Conceptual Posters: Like my work for 'The Substance', I can build high-concept visual teasers that cut through the noise.
- Digital Folklore: Developing new symbols, creatures, and myths for your project that feel like they have always been here, just waiting to be discovered.
This is not a factory. It is a one-man studio (plus a lot of adrak chai). If you have an idea that feels a bit too strange for the standard agencies, reach out.
Prateek Arora
I’m Prateek, and I spend my days mixing Mumbai’s chaos with sci-fi. If you are tired of generic stock imagery and want art that actually says something about our screen-addicted lives, we should talk.
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