Series 01 · Ongoing
Soul
Canvas
Stories. Faces. Lives that inspire.
The Idea
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
— Leonardo da Vinci
Soul Canvas is a raw sketch series that uses simple black and white lines to draw living portraits of people whose stories inspire. The da Vinci line above is where it began.
These portraits are a testament to every young, seeking soul: your background, your limitations, your ordinary beginnings do not define you. You don’t need a silver platter to start — you just need to start where you are, with what you have.
Conceived as a living, breathing social history, the series is a visual bridge connecting the timeless legacy of past and present generations with the hearts of those yet to come. By honouring indigenous brilliance, it offers today’s youth tangible, raw touchstones of inspiration.
The Process
Drawn with
bare fingers.
The project is characterised by a radical commitment to minimalism and tactile purity: minimalist black-and-white line work, made with a distinct technique — finger-sketching.
No pen. No stylus. Bare fingers on a screen. Stripping away colour forces the viewer to look directly into the eyes, the lines of experience, and the quiet dignity of the subjects.
- No pen.
- No stylus.
- Bare fingers on a screen.
“These sketches, by design, are drawn with bare fingers without pen or stylus. In this increasing world of AI, it makes me feel human.”
Michael Mili
The Faces
42 portraits so far
Forty-two lives, so far
Michael has finished capturing the raw, unadorned spirit of 42 legendary Indian personalities, cultural icons and inspiring individuals — both famous and little known.
Completed
- Lata Mangeshkar
- Kishore Kumar
- A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
- Ratan Tata
- Narayana Murthy
- Bhupen Hazarika
- Satyajit Ray
- Viswanathan Anand
- Sachin Tendulkar
- Pandit Ravi Shankar
- Bhimsen Joshi
- A.R. Rahman
- R.K. Laxman
- Mario Miranda
In progress · Currently focusing on personalities from North East India
- Jayanta Hazarika
- Zubeen Garg
- Adil Hussain
- Mary Kom
- Jadav Payeng
- Irom Sharmila
- Hemanta Biswa Sharma
- Utpal Borpujari
- Lou Majaw
- Patricia Mukhim
- Temsula Ao
- Mamang Dai
- Kiren Rijiju
- Dr. Joram Begi
- Dr. T Ao
- P.A. Sangma
- Lalsangzuali Sailo
- Laldenga
- Naresh Chandra Dev Varma
- Thanga Darlong
- Danny Denzongpa
- Bhaichung Bhutia
Portrait plates from the series are being catalogued for this archive. The monochrome works shown here are from the artist’s wider black-and-white practice.
The Messages
A collaborative dialogue across time
What elevates Soul Canvas is the intimate process that follows each portrait: the icons — or their loved ones — take pen in hand and write personal messages for the youth directly on the sides of the sketch.
The artwork stops being a bare illustration. It becomes a dialogue across time, bridging raw sketch and living voice into a shared legacy.
“Fall in love with the exploration of the Self selfishly”
“You are the future… You are the strength… You’ll create this world beautiful and positive…”
The Journey
Against the synthetic
AI-generated art often lacks a lived soul, because it is synthesised without human experience. By capturing icons who have lived through struggle, triumph and history, and rendering them through an artist’s personal touch, Soul Canvas aspires to an authentic emotional resonance — and a human vulnerability.
The Future
Toward the public
Soul Canvas is preparing for broader public exhibitions, especially focused on young audiences — to tell the narratives and inspiring stories of India and Indians from whom every youth of the world can learn.
These venues are plans and aspirations described by the artist. None is a confirmed exhibition.