A Little About Sayeef

Sayeef Mahmud, a.k.a the Inksmith is an illustrator, artist and an avid product of popular culture and the ever beautiful Dhaka.

The name InkSmith stands testament to the type of art Sayeef Mahmud indulges in. Working for Big Blue Communications and 21,536 likes strong on Facebook and 2,415 followers on Instagram as of this minute, Sayeef is probably out there somewhere in Dhaka just attracting inspiration.

“I have been drawing stuff ever since I was 5, and this is all I’ve ever wanted to do”, says Sayeef after being asked what inspired him to draw in the first place.

He says he is finally being able to do what he wanted to do all his life. Draw and be amidst the chaos that is Dhaka.

Reaching out to somebody who’s just like you.

The basic philosophy behind Sayeef Mahmud’s art is connection via portraying alienation. Being heavily influenced by pop culture and things nobody else around him quite cared for, Sayeef realized at an early age that he cannot be the only one. So, he draws for the kid who feels the same way he did and maybe to some extent still does. He’s currently working for Big Blue Communications as an illustrator and animator and aspires to do for a fellow artist what the work of all the greats did for him – inspire.

Moving to Cumilla as a kid and having spent most of his life buried in cartoons, music and art people around him did not quite understand, Sayeef’s proudest moment as an artist so far is when a teenager from Khulna texted him explaining how Sayeef inspired him to take up drawing. He was also graced with fan-art made by the little protégé.

Sayeef’s business card suggests that he is a human cyborg who responds to biriyani.

Much like his art and business card in question, Sayeef as a person is full of edgy ideas. We had an absolute ball talking to him, our correspondent and he exchanged business cards but he wasn’t impressed.