Anamorphic Artworks of Awtar Singh Virdi

Awtar Singh Virdi from India is a skilled anamorphic artist. Anamorphosis is an art of distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to occupy a specific vantage point in order “see” the image. The image appears distorted at first when viewed from a conventional position and without aid. But when a cylindrical mirror is placed on the drawing and the reflection viewed, the distorted image magically transforms into a beautiful painting.

Awtar Singh Virdi was born in India in 1938. Once when Mr Virdi was working at Mercedes Benz training center at Jamshedpur, India, he saw his own distorted reflection on the body of a highly polished car. He was intrigued. That day he went straight to his room and started practicing using a polished metallic cap of a fountain pen. He placed the pen cap on a white card and tried to make a figure on the card so that a correct and upright image appeared on the pen cap. After a few trials he got it right. Mr Virdi has never stopped since.

Awtar Singh Virdi has created free hand anamorphic portraits of distinguished personalities like Mother Teresa, Ravindra Nath Tagore, Shubhash Ch. Bose, Amitabh Bachchan, George W Bush, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and others. He holds the Guinness World Record for the largest anamorphic portrait created in the year 2004.

Also see: Anamorphic Art by István Orosz