Anwesh Kumar Sahoo (born[4] 4 July 1995) is an Indian artist, blogger,[5] writer, model, actor and a TEDx speaker.

[9][10] Anwesh went on to work for Aristocrat Gaming (an Australian MNC) as a Technical Artist,[11][12] and is now pursuing a Master of Science at University College Cork.

He was featured by Deutsche Welle,[24] Germany's public international broadcaster where he spoke about coming out in a nation where indulging in homosexual acts could land you in jail.

Anwesh later gained mainstream visibility due to a video he shot with Gaysi called Silly Questions Straight People Ask Gay Men that went viral over the Internet and was subsequently featured on numerous Indian and International websites including BuzzFeed[28] India, Cosmopolitan India, Vagabomb and Logo TV's NEWNOWNEXT.

Anwesh was named as one of the emerging LGBT Role Models[42] of 2016 by Indian Women Blog, alongside transgender rights activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, and Business Analyst Himanshu Singh.

Anwesh began his acting career with an ad film in 2017 with Kraftly[49][50] alongside Nargis Nandal (from Gulamohar fame).

[53][52][54][55] In 2022 Anwesh grabbed another major ad campaign for Absolut Glassware[56] alongside Indian supermodel Anjali Lama, Olympian Dutee Chand, and drag artist Durga Gawde, that focused on sharing ways to be a strong ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

Some of his notable works include an inclusive 'Deck of Cards' for Disney, wallpapers for WhatsApp, digital posters for Google and Netflix, cover art for Queersapien by Rupa Publications,[62][63][64] for ‘Queers in Quarantine’ by Norway-based Mohini Books[65][66] and later for 'The Garden Tantra'[67] by Oslo-based author Vikram Kolmannskog.

[73][74] All illustrations in the entire series re-imagine the Universe of Effeminare and patachitra (an old Odiya traditional art form) and amalgamates it with maximalism and over the top, opulent fashion references.

He also aimed at initiating a conversation around safe and hygienic sex practices (the purple illustration in the series is called, 'Umbrella and The Watering Can').

He uses his artworks as a way to educate the masses on the pertinence of allyship, and how it acts as a source of hope, inspiration and strength for folx struggling to come out, and to those ostracised by their communities.

[78][79] His notable work includes the poster/fan art[79] for the Indian period drama television series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, created and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Sahoo's artistry was further showcased with an illustration celebrating a summer adventure featuring beloved characters from popular shows, including Charlie from Heartstopper, David from Schitt's Creek, Eric from Sex Education, Fabiola from Never Have I Ever, and Dhruv from Class.

He imagines a world where one's identity isn't limited to the binary male or female, but can manifest as a spectrum of infinite possibilities.

[86] His second TEDx talk, "Tapping into your Alice,"[87] related to growing up in a society that did not know how to deal with those who did not conform to gender stereotypes, in addition to how adulthood drains us of our belief in magic.