Akshaj Kilewala, an Assistant Professor in Foundation Studies, is an interdisciplinary artist and designer with over seven years of professional experience spanning art practice, freelance graphic design, spatial installations, and visual systems. His practice operates at the intersections of painting, printmaking, performance, digital media, and spatial practices. His work is informed by sacred geometry, ritual, and personal cosmologies, approaching art as a process-led, relational inquiry.

At Anant, Akshaj teaches studio-based courses that emphasise visual thinking, material exploration, and interdisciplinary processes. His pedagogy focuses on building strong foundations in observation, making, and visual language. Through process-led learning, he supports students in developing thoughtful and context-sensitive creative practices.

He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts (Performance) from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), USA (2024), where his practice-focused research explored interdisciplinary art-making across performance, painting, and technology. He completed his Bachelor of Design in Communication Design from the National Institute of Design (NID), Andhra Pradesh, in 2019.

Pedagogically, Akshaj emphasises interdisciplinary experimentation, material awareness, and the development of individual visual language through observation, reflection, and embodied making. His teaching encourages students to engage with mediums as living systems shaped by history, context, and use.

Alongside his professional practice, he has actively engaged in exhibition-making, performance-based work, and interdisciplinary collaborations in India and internationally. His work has been exhibited at SAIC Galleries, Links Hall, and the South Asia Institute in Chicago.

Beyond teaching and studio practice, Akshaj is interested in community-oriented cultural initiatives, interdisciplinary collaborations, and alternative pedagogical models rooted in care, ritual, and collective learning.