ANWESH SAHOO

is a Lead Technical Artist and 2D/3D Visual Designer at Aristocrat Gaming, renowned for his pioneering contributions to both the digital arts and LGBTQ+ activism. He’s the first and only Indian recipient of the Troy Perry Medal of Pride for Compassionate Activism, the winner of Mr Gay World India 2016 (the youngest winner to date) and creator of 'The Effeminare'.

 

With features in Vogue, Rolling Stones, Cosmopolitan India and The Hindu as a breakthrough queer artist, he has taken on the stage of TEDx as a speaker asserting the need to celebrate gender as a spectrum. He draws under the pseudonym ‘The Effeminare’, a parallel universe where he gets to illustrate the Utopian world he wants to be a part of, using art as a means to digitally archive and discuss healthier, empowered and a more desirable representation of brown femme queer, non-binary and trans folx in pop culture.

 

Anwesh is also the winner of Rising Talent of The Year Award 2024 by Jagran Influencer & Creator Awards and IIIT Delhi’s Young Alumni Award 2022, for his contribution to representing and supporting the queer community through his work in Tech, Art and Design.