Born in India in 1993, Apu Dutta moved from one Asian city to another throughout his childhood. He spent his school years doodling characters he identified with from cartoons and games, all over his math notes. When it came time for college, his parents strongly advised him to pursue engineering. In 2011 he moved to the US for his undergraduate studies in electrical engineering, later completing his master’s degree in the same field and joining Microsoft as an engineer on Windows.
 
Throughout this time, he never lost his passion for art; he took every opportunity to practice it. In 2020, he started volunteering on indie game teams and trying his hand at different roles like concept art, environment art, and level creation. Having discovered how procedural assets are generated, Apu realized he could combine his engineering knowledge with his art which unlocked a new realm of possibilities. He decided that a career in technical art would be perfect for him. He will be attending DigiPen for his MFA starting in the Fall of 2022, where he can fine-tune his technical art portfolio.
 
Video games have had a huge impact on Apu’s life as they played a key part in providing him with the media representation he lacked elsewhere. He cannot wait to be part of the game industry and create similar works of art that positively impact lives around the world, encouraging people to pursue their dreams and live their best life. He is incredibly thankful to the Robert B McMillen Foundation for their generosity and support, and for connecting him to an amazing community of inspiring artists. He looks forward to making a career in the field he loves.