Rob has a wild imagination'

Children of the 90s would definitely remember M.A.D, a series aired on Pogo, and hosted by Rob aka Harun Robert. Many would seek inspiration from him to try out new DIYs, arts and crafts. The NID and Delhi School of Art trained animation film maker and Tedx speaker will be in Bengaluru as part of his new live art show — Imaginarium - It’s a Wonderful World, a first of its kind event set to take place on December 14. In an interview with Rob, we find out more about his journey. 

As a curious child, Rob loved experimenting with new materials and mediums. “This curiosity led me to become who I am today. I get inspired by everything and anything around me. Nature itself is my best inspiration. If you just stop everything you’re doing and take time to just look around you, you will realise that there are so many things that can inspire you,” says Rob.  

As a child, like all of us, Rob too was fascinated by comics. “I even made my own comic strips sometimes. I guess that’s where my initial excitement about art came from,” he adds. Rob also shares that like any other parent, his parents too wanted him to become a doctor. 

They were initially not supportive, but all it took was a lot of convincing. He shares, “After seeing how passionate I was about art, they finally gave in. And I’m glad that for the rest of my journey, they were by my side.” On how M.A.D happened, he adds, “It was a big risk and gamble that I left my already established animation career and start creating and hosting a TV show, but I’m glad I took this challenge.”   

He strongly believes that there is no substitute for hardwork and passion. He advises, “So if you are ready to put in the hours you can do anything you wish.” After M.A.D, Rob has two YouTube channels — Mad Stuff With Rob and Rob In The Hood. “I upload DIY videos and art-related content on one, and on the latter I upload vlogs mostly related to my personal life on how I draw inspiration, and my travels,” he shares. 

Imaginarium is a travelling live art show. Talking about the show, Rob adds, “It’s a great mix of a visual spectacle and DIY.  I’m known for my larger than life artworks popularly known as big pictures. And through this show, people can watch me create some of these LIVE on stage. It also has an interactive segment like a workshop where kids can create stuff with me and take back their creations along with some happy memories. It take kids away from the screen and makes them watch something real, unedited and live on stage which is something they don’t get to experience every day. On a screen, they don’t understand the real sense of size, scale or material but Imaginarium allows them to do that while promoting the social message of recycling, reducing and reusing.”

An alumni of the National Institute of Design and College of Art, Delhi, Rob’s art and crafts videos target people from all age groups. “My ideas are simple enough for kids to understand and replicate but the same techniques can also be used by young adults or adults for various complex projects. But I try and target younger minds to help them build a strong creative foundation and expand their imagination.” 

An avid traveller, Rob loves to scuba dive, which he does when ever he gets a chance. He adds, “Currently, I’m trying to learn the Ukulele.  I always have a sketchbook next to my bed and there are times when I get up in the middle of the night to quickly doodle or scribble an idea that I either thought or dreamt of.” For the moment, Rob is focusing on Imaginarium, and has a few projects in the pipeline.