Abhishek Tuiwala’s Everyday Fictions

Abhishek Tuiwala, courtesy of the artist

 By CARLOTA GAMBOA, April 18, 2025

Through the combined use of archetype, curiosity and unexpected combination, Abhishek Tuiwala turns quotidian objects into questions of cultural significance. Varying in scale and material, Tuiwala’s sculptures often morph together a multitude of concepts, from a nose-bag to a brain-lock to a snake-tie, and push the viewer into forming a personal narrative with the piece. Tuiwala’s work doesn’t hold one's hand, but instead pushes one into a space of examining what metaphors are held by certain visual cues. 

Contemporary Charmer, 2024, Brass, 18in x 16in x 6in

The brass piece Contemporary Charmer (2024) does just that. Represented by a snake which turns into an upright tie—or vice versa—creates a complex story using only two primary elements. Whether the argument be that corporate greed results in unscrupulousness, or if unscrupulousness makes for a good businessman, is entirely up to the viewer. As elaborated during our conversation, Tuiwala states: “Some objects you’ve had relationships with since childhood, and you have that special thing attached with a particular thought, maybe in a positive way, but maybe in some other culture it has a negative thought behind it. Unlucky or lucky, it’s all entwined. This kind of thing helps me narrate my concept. It helps me figure out how I can show that piece. The piece is a universal object or something that can speak up with a multi-dimensional culture.”

Tuiwala also explains that the origins of Contemporary Charmer came from the grueling and confusing U.S. visa process. “It speaks to my struggle with the immigration process here in the United States,” he says. “The attorney charges a lot and they try to take advantage of your limited knowledge because they know that you are an immigrant. That you don't know much, so they try to take advantage of you. I was a victim of that. That was a negative experience for me, and I translated that negative experience into the artwork. I then realized that the snake is also considered a lucky animal in Chinese culture. I wanted to know, how can I incorporate this? That kind of snake solved my problem because it now took on a whole other meaning.”

Reputation, 2024, White Marble, Brass, 22in x 15in x 10in

Tuiwala’s positivity in the face of frustration also shows the kind of duality experienced by interacting with his work. The works toggle between abstraction and a kind of absurd realism. There is something familiar about all of them, even the more conceptual objects like 2021’s Towards Equilibrium or X,Y and Z. When asked about how he hopes audiences respond to the work he says, “You never know who is coming. That person can be an art enthusiast or they can be an ordinary person working a nine-to-five job. So I keep my work within the layers that anybody's coming. Anybody seeing, experiencing my art, I want to give that person a little direction, even if what they are thinking is completely different to what my thinking was originally behind the creation, that version could also be true. I want that dialogue between the artwork and the viewer. Any kind of dialogue, maybe positive, maybe negative. Maybe it comes out a bit different than I imagined or conceptualized. But that perspective was also right, according to their experiences. And mine is also right.”

Having veered toward microbiology during his youth as a student, Abhishek has for the most part always known he wanted to be an artist. Encouraged by his mother from a young age, drawing and painting was always a practice that grounded and fulfilled him. Though the transition into sculptural work came during university years, his background as not only a scientist but an illustrator often shows its silent hand in his work. 

“It's still a part of my sculpture,” he says in reference to drawing. “I start with the drawing, then I build maquette after maquette. I decide the medium of the sculpture and size of the sculpture, and then I convert it. And I really love this journey, because when you transfer the 2D to the 3D form, it changes. Either you get the result and it's greater than you could’ve imagined or way below par than what you expected. You never get the same result as what you first imagined. The unexpected outcome is what I love.” 

Towards Comfort Zone, 2021, Wood, 38in x 24in x 20in at Aicon Gallery

From Anish Kapoor to Robert Gober to Doris Salcedo, Tuiwala’s art means to challenge the space it’s in by expansion, just like those he looks to for inspiration. When asked about what it is he’s doing currently, Tuiwala mentions how important locality is to him when working on a series. “I am working on wood sculptures right now,” he says. “Wood sculptures and wood drawings and sculptures in combination, I would say. Historical aspects also justify my concept, so in the next six months I'm going to be working on wood and drawings mostly. And some small scales, maybe metal sculptures. But, you know, my process is to start from scratch. There is no ready-made object in my work, and I appreciate that. Like building a meticulous style, and it takes time, I don't make a lot of sculptures in a year. I can create one in a month or something. But, I love this part of my process and it's slow and steady. So that's what I think also makes the work very unique.”

Tuiwala recently exhibited work in Contains, Cuddles, Exalts, Or Stimulates at Aicon Gallery in New York. To learn more about Abhishek Tuiwala, please visit his website here and follow on Instagram @abhishek.tuiwala