Creative Minds: Harshmeet Kohli on dedicating a year to dating for 'art’s sake'

Name: Harshmeet Kohli

 

Place of origin: New Delhi, India

 

Places lived and worked: New Delhi, India and Singapore

 

Pronouns: She/her

 

CV: 
 

Creative lead, Lenskart International, Singapore, 2023-present

Senior art director, We Are Social, Singapore, 2021-2023

Art director, Grey, Singapore, 2017-2021 

Art director, Ogilvy, Singapore, 2015-2017

 

1. How did you end up becoming a creative?

 

I’ve been a creative for as long as I can remember—scribbling on every piece of paper I could find as a kid. I spent hours on my dad’s lap watching him design catalogues in Photoshop, and that was my first window into the world of design. Fast forward to a fine arts degree, where I soon realised creativity alone wouldn’t pay the bills. But a quirky final-year project and a bit of luck got me my first gig at Ogilvy Singapore, and the rest? Well, no looking back since!

 

2. What's your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

 

One of my favourite projects was a recent Valentine’s Day campaign I did for Lenskart Singapore called 'The Reality Check'. The brief? A tiny $7,000 budget and a delightfully silly idea. I wrote and art directed the spot, roped in a colleague as the talent, and got lucky with an amazing crew who partnered with us to build a DIY set and shoot the whole thing in their studio. It was a full-on, hands-on experience—total guerrilla-style filmmaking. The best part? Making something so fun, cheeky, and effective with next to nothing. It was a masterclass in getting crafty on a peanut budget. 

 

 

3. What's your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

 

Ah, so many come to mind! The classic 'Never Say No to Panda' series by Panda Cheese is an all-time favourite. It’s an old Egyptian spot that shows a passive-aggressive panda punishing people for refusing cheese. It always makes me chuckle. Creatively, it’s genius because it’s such a simple concept but was executed with perfect timing and humour. Plus, who doesn't love a sassy Panda? 

 

 

The other one I love is 'Even More Confusing Times' by Burger King. The whole campaign is witty, timely, and brilliantly taps into the current world of confusion, and the absurdity. As an art director who loves good copy, I almost wish I wrote that one. 

 

 

4. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?

 

My final year art project, hands down. It was all about online dating and the concept of relational aesthetics in a digital space. So, naturally, I spent an entire year going on dates… for art. I documented every awkward, hilarious, and borderline disastrous moment, and turned it into an installation. Why? Because one of my lecturers casually compared my project to Sophie Calle’s work, so of course, I took that compliment as my green light to fully commit. Looking back, dedicating a year to dating for 'art’s sake' was a bit nuts—but hey, that’s art school for you, right!

 

5. What's on your bucket list?

 

Shoot a commercial starring Taika Waititi (because, obviously), experience the Dark Sky Project in New Zealand, and catch Leon Bridges and John Mayer live—ideally in the same show.

 

 

6. What career did you think you'd have when you were a kid?

 

As much as I was creative growing up, I was also a bit of a space nerd. I imagined myself as a space scientist. Don’t think I knew exactly what that meant—probably examining cool space rocks and of course, communicating with aliens. Turns out, I didn’t end up doing either—but some client briefs get pretty close!

 

7. Do you work best under pressure, or when things are calm?

 

Honestly, calm and chaos are both intrinsic to the creative process. A bit of creative chaos is essential, but as I get older, I’ve grown to appreciate the calm a lot more. Whether it’s reading before work or disappearing down a Pinterest wormhole, these moments of stillness—what I like to call my creative swamp—always feed back into the work.

 

8. What advice would you give to 10-year-old you, if you could?

 

Honestly, 10-year-old me was pretty wise. I stood by “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game”—probably borrowed from a Hilary Duff movie, but still solid advice. If anything, 10-year-old me would probably be telling me now, “Have you tried restarting it?” Timeless advice, really. And it works effectively in (almost) every scenario.

 

9. What's your favourite TV show / film of the past year?

 

I started this year by rewatching What We Do in the Shadows. The irreverent humour and deadpan delivery are so sharp, I almost feel guilty laughing—but I don’t. The Bear, though, really takes the cake. Brilliantly written and directed. Love how the cinematography captures the chaos of kitchen life. I've watched it a few times already. And a special shoutout to Howl's Moving Castle. Took me ages to finally watch it, but the craft—the way inanimate objects come to life—it’s pure magic.

 

10. Tell us about an artist that we've probably never heard of?

 

I'm a big fan of poetry and spoken word, and lately I’ve been really into Harry Baker’s work. He’s a British poet who blends clever wordplay with heartfelt themes. His stuff ranges from tackling big existential questions to celebrating the simple joy of pancakes, or even a love story for odd numbers. What I love is that Harry doesn’t take himself too seriously but still manages to dig deep. His poems are like a little hug. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Harry Baker (@harrybakerpoet)

 

11. Do you have a nickname?

 

My nickname is Hershey. I got it back in high school, but aside from two friends, it didn’t really stick. When I moved to Singapore, I realised my name was getting butchered a bit, so I started introducing myself as Hershey. “Like the chocolate?” they’d ask, and I’d just roll with it. Now it’s stuck, though most people still get confused with my real name and end up searching for Hershey when trying to find me on mail!