At nearly any art event in Muscat, chances are that 28-year-old Anoushka Narayanan will be there!
Whether exhibiting her work, creating live art pieces, or simply supporting fellow artists within Oman’s growing creative scene, Narayanan has become one of the driving creative forces behind Oman’s new generation of artists.
“My name is Anoushka Narayanan. I go by Local Ghost Art or Local Ghost Illustration. I grew up in Oman for most of my life before moving to London to study illustration at the University of the Arts London”, she said.
“I work across mixed media, printmaking, painting and illustration. I enjoy layering different forms of media together to create the right feeling and effect in my work”.
Narayanan said her interest in art began early.
“It sounds cliché, but being an artist is one of the earliest things I remember wanting to become as a child”, she said.
She explained that she only began taking art seriously towards the end of high school while deciding what to pursue after graduation.
“My high school art teacher suggested illustration because she thought it suited me. Originally, I had considered graphic design, but I’m really glad I chose illustration instead”, she said.
“I love taking a concept, visualising it and turning it into something fun and story-driven”.
Narayanan’s artistic journey further developed when she enrolled in a foundation year programme at the University of the Arts London.
“I did a foundation year at university because I wanted to develop my skills further. A lot of people think talent is enough to become an artist, but it takes skill, dedication and practice as well”, she said.
Although much of her university experience was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Narayanan believes much of her artistic growth came later through creating outside the structure of grades and academic critique.
“When you’re making art because you genuinely want to, it becomes easier to discover what you actually enjoy”, she explained.
Speaking about her creative process, Narayanan said she often focuses on capturing emotions and atmosphere rather than illustrating concepts literally. She added that research and experimentation play a major role in her work, drawing inspiration from magazine covers, film posters, textures and visual styles before developing multiple rough concepts and sketches.
Beyond illustration, Narayanan is also deeply involved in Oman’s growing art community through exhibitions and live art events.
“I think art thrives when people create together. Ideas bounce off each other and inspiration inspires more inspiration”, she said.
“It’s been amazing to see how much Oman’s art community has grown over the years. When I first returned from the UK, it felt much quieter. Now there are more events, more artists and more people interested in engaging with art”.
Narayanan added that she believes art has become increasingly accessible to wider audiences in Oman, encouraging more people to engage with creative spaces and events.
The artist also credited several local creatives as major sources of inspiration, including Ali Waqar, Shahad al Hamdi, and Mohammed al Attar.
Speaking on the challenges of working as an artist, Narayanan said one of the biggest struggles has been being taken seriously professionally.
“A lot of people don’t see art as a viable profession and for a long time I internalised that belief myself”, she said.
“But art is everywhere. It’s part of everything we interact with daily and I think people underestimate how important creative work really is”.
Looking ahead, Narayanan said she hopes to continue exploring different forms of illustration and storytelling.
“I’m interested in editorial illustration, album covers, book covers, packaging design, honestly, everything”, she said.
“I’d love to create work that exists in the real world, whether that’s packaging, posters, or large-scale visual projects”.
You can follow Anoushka’s artistic journey on Instagram through @localghostart or contact her at localghostillustration@gmail.com
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