Dear reader, has anyone ever told you your eyes are a work of art? Before you blush, we’re only asking because this writer was recently told so. At the opening day of a three-day pop-up in Bandra, we meet Chennai-based artist Rahul M, who is looking Mumbaikars in the eye, capturing high-res scans of their irises, and turning them into striking digitally juxtaposed artworks using digital photo manipulation.

At Candies, where young patrons from possibly every college in the neighbourhood have gathered on a weekday afternoon, there’s more than meets the eye. In a corner, an exhibition of surrealist framed artworks, each featuring a set of irises, are staring right back at us. At the end of this eerie yet fascinating walk is an unusual contraption, akin to something we’ve only ever seen at an optometrist’s clinic before.

The writer gets his iris scanned by the photographer. Pics/Nimesh Dave