Yash Kansal (’23) has always loved drawing since his childhood. Soon, what started out as a small passion bloomed into a fruitful pursuit. Kansal’s love for art grew as it transitioned into a wide multi-media business of clothes, prints, and other memorabilia.

Initially, art was a passing interest that Kansal did occasionally to kill time. However, a chance encounter on Instagram would light the fire that began his long relationship with the arts.

“As soon as I hit eighth grade, I saw this really great post from an artist named Vexx, and I was like, you know what? I’ll recreate this. I started doodling, and I just knew that I had to keep doing it, so I kept making more and more pieces and it just kept growing since then,” said Kansal.

During freshman year, a spark hit Kansal. With everybody on Instagram, he saw an opportunity to reveal his talents to the world. Using bright paint markers and strategic doodling, Kansal posted some of his first pieces to his newly formed instagram: syphus_art.

“When I was a freshman, I saw everyone on Instagram, so I was like, you know what, I’ll try this out. I shared some of my work, even though I didn’t have many followers. It was pretty much just my friends and family, and I just started posting the doodles that I had started doing during freshman year which people really liked,” said Kansal.

Despite his successes, the early years were tough. Trying to stand out in the sea of talented artists on Instagram made growing rapidly difficult for Kansal. Though discouraged by the little number of likes, it was the people closest to Kansal who continued to encourage him, and he started expanding his portfolio.

“I didn’t get too many likes. Again, just family and friends. It was averaging around 25 likes per post, but people liked the artwork. People inquired about it. They were asking about how they could buy prints,” said Kansal.

In 2020, a new idea blossomed in Kansal’s mind to monetize this endeavor. While initially just a passing thought, it soon became something much more substantial.

“I had an idea to start the business in 2020 because people really wanted to buy my artwork. At first, I really didn’t see it getting to the point where a lot of people were wearing it. I tried doing a bunch of paperwork, but it just didn’t work out at the time,” said Kansal.

Kansal didn’t let this setback discourage him. He persevered through the hardship and finally launched his own website: syphusart.com. With a fully fledged suite of items to shop, Kansal’s website also includes unique elements.

“I saw an opportunity, so I made a website and talked to my manufacturer and just started getting to work. I started making prints and stickers at first. Now, I’m really taking my artwork and putting it towards making merch, so people can wear what I’m trying to produce instead of just some random text on a t-shirt,” said Kansal.

Kansal’s once small hobby turned into a successful venture. He frequently releases new items of clothing with his own signature designs. His newest hoodie, available to purchase on his website, has become one of his biggest successes: a testament to his continued growth. Many of his friends are supportive about his new business. They are all ready to help Kansal’s business flourish.

“I love his hoodies. They have a lot of style and really incorporate what his feelings are. I am definitely going to buy one,” said Bill Situ (‘24).

Even with his business taking off, Kansal didn’t forget his Instagram. His account, syphus_art, is frequently updated with new, fresh artworks. Despite being a business, art is and will always be his primary passion, and Instagram will always be the network to show the world his creations.

“Art’s always going to be a passion (for me). It’s one that you can’t really recreate. I’m always going to keep art as a way to vent out all my other problems. As far as Instagram goes, I’m going to continue posting. No matter how many likes I get, no matter who follows me, I just think everyone should see what I’m doing,” said Kansal.