MASALA CHAI : desi art & design

Riddhika Jesrani

2009-11-23T19:32:00.003+05:30

Riddhika Jesrani a graphic and jewelry designer based in New York. She went to Parsons for graphic design and started her jewelry line in 2005 .

"My jewelry is influenced by the places I have lived in and all the ones I travel to. From the things I love like animals and food to the fun personalities of my friends and people I meet. I design and create necklaces, earrings, bracelets and hair accessories. I make all these from vintage finds, semi precious stones, some silver, glass, resin and any other materials I find interesting. Most of my pieces are one-of-a-kind and based on the personality of the person who wears them. "

More at her blog.

Mithun Jayaram

2009-11-02T18:49:00.004+05:30

Mithun Jayaram likes to work with expendable objects. The humble pencil, the charmless eraser, the square yellow post-it clones - all exalted by the ambitions Mithun sees for them.
From everyday utilitarian objects, he builds several little universes. All much more magnificent than anyone ever thought they would be. He carries out this task purposefully -sharpening, shaving, rolling , tearing and building inch by inch in full view of a skeptical audience.From curiosity some stop and watch, from amusement some stop to stare.

Mithun's latest work-in-progress , a post-it /eraser cosmos titled A Feeling Bubble of Forgetting , explodes slowly to the smells of coffee .He captures every awkward nuance of the journey in a space not conventionally used to showcase art. This can be revealing in it's demystification or completely fascinating in it's deliberate progression. To Mithun, the end does not matter. He works in public spaces to include an audience interaction , keeping the element of chance in space , turning it into a 'playground of ideas'.

He hopes people will 're-look' their waste. While the actual materials used in his installations are not in fact waste , he uses everyday , ordinary things, hoping to alter your perception of them.While this is not a re-cycling project, Mithun never throws away the materials, hoping to reuse them and the traces of their essence in a different context or arrangement.

As much as it is an experiment in observation as most things art are , it is also an experiment in introspection (as most things art are) Mithun is often asked by participants and onlookers if he was always this industrious or persistent but Mithun chalks it up to selective patience. A momentary yielding surge in tenacity for the sake of enlightenment, an opportunity to test his own limits and learn about himself.

He pushes on as he starts to seperate mind and body from the physical 'feeling' discomfort. While these little universes take shape , Mithun gains from the thoughts and conversations fueled by his creation.

Catch Mithun Jayaram at Gloria Jean's Coffee, Indra Nagar, Bangalore from 11 am - 11 pm. You won't regret it! More images on his facebook page.

Have included images from his previous installation at Citylink Mall, Singapore featuring pencils and their associated parts.

Deepti Bhadbhade

2009-10-30T20:27:00.003+05:30

Beautiful 'meditative' doodles by Deepti Bhadbhade. Deepti freelances as a creative person in self initiated interiors/exhibitions projects.

Namrata Narula

2009-10-14T18:48:00.004+05:30

Namrata Narula is a Textile Designer from Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore. For her final project, she worked with worn out clothes and waste fabric which she collected from people around her. "It was an indepedent project and my inspiration for it came from the age old of habit of recycling, preserving and jugaad especially amongst Indians. "Her collection is called New Improved . More here.

Alexander Kori Girard

2009-10-14T18:01:00.009+05:30

Found these incredible mixed media works by American artist Alexander Girard via the superb fly . I'm tempted to do this to the thousands of old photographs that are gathering dust in my grandparents' home. More here.

Attic

2009-10-14T17:31:00.007+05:30

Amrita sent me some pictures of her store Attic, that she runs with her friends Rixi, Tinka & Shweta. Attic features some of the country's hippest young talent. I love the little story of how they came up with the name as well. Visit Attic.

Rahul Sureka

2009-10-14T17:24:00.004+05:30

Sometimes monkeying around leads to interesting things. Mumbai based designer Rahul Sureka developed Digital Kong during a single day illustration spree. Way cooler than my obvious pun. For more of Rahul's visual noise, go here .

Bhajju Shyam for Tara Books

2009-09-23T13:37:00.005+05:30

Lush tribal interpretations of The Little Mermaid, by Gond Artist Bhajju Shyam. I love the updated retelling of this fairytale classic. From their website, "The Flight of the Mermaid is a feminist parable on the warring claims of love and choice." Buy the book here.

Mequitta Ahuja

2009-09-23T13:08:00.000+05:30

New York based artist Mequitta Ahuja refers to her work as Automythography- a combination of history, myth and personal narrative. Born of Indian & African American parentage, she attempts to bring grandiose to marginality in her images. More at her blog.

The Wall Project

2009-09-22T18:51:00.006+05:30

This Independance day (Aug 15th) saw the dreamers of Mumbai city coming together to paint the somewhat sordid walls of Tulsi Pipe Road with aspirational messages and images. A simple but infectious idea that has taken many a hobbyist artist's fancy in metropolitan India. The Wall project started it all. Check their website for the story. Facebook for more images.

Kamal

2009-09-14T01:46:00.000+05:30

Kamal refers to her stationery collection as a triangular love affair between paper , art and a good impression. This Prat Grad lives and works in NYC. More lovely stuff at her website.

Arjuna Gunarathne

2009-08-26T16:31:00.005+05:30

Some cool drawings from London based Arjuna Gunarathne. Gunarathne studied at VIBAVI Academy of Fine Arts, Sri Lanka & Beacon house National University in Pakistan. More here.

Divya Raman

2009-08-25T04:00:00.000+05:30

Divya Raman graduated this year with a Masters in Digital Fashion from The London College of Fashion. She designs under the label FMCG - Fast Moving Consumer Goods , conceptualised during her masters program. FMCG merges fashion and digital art in the most entertaining way possible.

Her structured, heavily pleated pieces echo the lines of test card patterns. The volumnous shift's bear digital art that reinforce the collection's major themes - God & TV. Both extremely profitable products of & for mass consumption.

The cleverly titled collection unfolds like an enigmatic sci-fi fantasy series. The plot line : Heaven's cherubs are do-gooders with a television dependency . Regular broadcast has been interrupted for a special message to the minions of earth. What plot twists await the 'cathodic' soul? Stay tuned for more.

Tell us a little about your roots.

Traditional and beautifully cultured Chennai background, a PCM (Physics,Chemistry, Mathematics) student who sold her engineering forms for design.Fashion was an impulse and the rabbit hole led to an entire new core to discover my world.

What influenced your tele-commandments line?

My design ideology uses digital technology in fashion as a toy and tool. Tele-commandments: for a cathodic soul is pun intended on today's screen addiction through television and the nostalgic test card patterns. The collection explores moving graphic narratives from television through lens animation i.e lenticulars and digital textile printing.

Transmission breakdown strikes a screen addicted heaven. Tele-commandments is a disrupted live broadcast from the glorious home of god. Bless you for watching.

Do you see yourself doing any other sort of design?

Yes, creativity leads to new insights, it depends on that particular artistic moment or what we call the "glorious instinct".

Do you collect pieces of clothing?

Yes, vintage or one-of pieces from my travel, flea markets. It could be anything ranging from a 50's new look coat to an Irish brooch to temple jewellery. Criteria: The one that fits my wallet! Quirky, Simplistic, Edgy

If you could pick a song , movie or book (or all 3) to describe your state of mind , what would that be?

My state of mind : dreamy, blank sheet of canvas. Movie : Waking Life by Richard Linklater

What is your creative work process like?

Creativity is unpredictable, it works in unity with individual freedom and passion. Working systematically would make the process mechanical. Each time it taps a different experience, a new revelation, so just go with the flow!

Who do you envy?

Nature

What do you think of the fashion scene in India?

Fashion in India is conscious with the west. We should breakaway from that kind of comparison or "indo-west" look and let our own echoes rule the runway!

Your favourite designers?

Abraham & Thakore, Ingo Maurer, Margiela, Castelbajac, Moschino, Nam June Paik .

What can we expect to see from Divya Raman in the future?
FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), a womenswear pret-a-porter line.

Are you working on something now?
I am just traveling for the moment. Long awaited trip! Will keep you guys updated!!

Tele-commandments on Youtube.

Ruchita Madhok

2009-08-17T10:51:00.004+05:30

Beautiful moody art to match the beautiful moody poetry at Mumbai based designer Ruchita Madhok's blog.

Kavita Singh Kale

2009-08-17T10:19:00.004+05:30

Detail from the 'facebook' painting .

Kavita Singh Kale has her roots in the hills of Kangra and studied painting at the College of Art , Delhi. Later she garnered a post grad diploma from NID in Animation film , that had a significant influence on her artistic grammar.

Kavita Singh is debuting her solo show Visual Diary at the Visual Arts Gallery , Habitat Centre, New Delhi on the 19th of August . More at her website.

Kangan Arora

2009-08-17T10:18:00.001+05:30

Featured an interview with London based Textile Designer Kangan Arora sometime last year . Ms. Arora has now set up shop at etsy . A good chance to grab that beautiful confetti coloured skirt ! Go here.

Mansi Shah

2009-08-05T18:58:00.003+05:30

Some quirky art from Mansi Shah.

The Busride

2009-08-05T18:57:00.000+05:30

The people at The Busride have been sending in the most incredible work. You'll see what I mean when you check out their website. The Busride ppl say ," The Amoda Spa-Bar, in Kolkata is a spa by day, offering 30 minute reflexology sessions, with full massage therapy options, and turns into a Lounge-Bar at night, with a full service bar and bar snacks.We aimed to create a language which used natural elements and materials, but in a dark, clubbish and contemporary way, with heavily treated textured surfaces like potpourri walls, to achieve a balanced design direction, which would work in both seemingly opposing contexts.Spaces and rooms have a variety of lighting options, from the LED ceiling motifs which are used during therapy for a relaxing mood, to the shower cubicle-lamps, that are turned on when the transition occurs.We created 8 self similar rooms, including a couple suite, which offer slight variations in design to create a palette of options for the regulars.We worked in partnership with 100 Watts Design Studio to develop every single element in the space." .

Cheap Thrills

2009-08-05T16:20:00.001+05:30

Your daily dose of pulp kitsch. Anyone want to try their hand at translating? Go here if you are easily amused. How emo is that heart bindi?

Revati Gangal

2009-08-04T17:07:00.005+05:30

Some very nice work from Revathi Gangal. Love the movement in the lines.

Revathi has a Masters in Portraiture from Sir J.J. School of Art and is based out of Dubai.

Sameer Kulavoor

2009-08-01T03:51:00.002+05:30

Last week I spent the most hectic/glorious/humid 5 days running about all over the beautiful decay that is Bombay . As my little trip tapered to it's very end ,taking with it my excitement , I managed to hold on to it just a little longer as Sameer Kulavoor handed me this little book , Sidewalks & Coffeeshops .

Sameer decided to take his visual meanderings and turn it into (what I hope will be)the first of many little books, that document the space between . Little snippets of time, lapses between assignments , idle time spent doodling at coffeeshops. Beautifully illustrated , these completely hand drawn images are wistful, sly , funny & morbid.

Such a great memento to take back . Thanks Sameer :)

They are a limited edition of 100 and you can't get them at a store :P

Mark Swaroop

2009-08-01T03:03:00.001+05:30

Mark Swaroop is a 26 year old Bangalore based Art Director who has been dabbling with photography for a year and a half. In Mark's own words ,"I love all things beautiful and visual arts is the best I can express what love. I come from a Media Studies background although i have been a designer most of my working life . Being a graphic designer and influenced by Paula Scher and David Carson, my photography takes a slightly graphic turn. Either way i live life through a quote by Tom Waits 'I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy"

The first word that comes to mind is 'Lush' . Beautiful stuff. More here.

Tanvi Kant

2009-08-01T03:02:00.013+05:30

LOVE these beautiful handmade trinkets by designer Tanvi Kant. She uses strips of her mum's old sari's to create these one of a kind pieces of jewelry adding little detail in the way of handmade ceramic rings and beads. More draped, wraped , knotted goodness here. Tanvi lives and works out of London.

Karaweaves

2009-08-01T00:01:00.003+05:30

Some lovely new stuff from Karaweaves. For those who are unfamiliar, "Kara is a creative venture with a social cause, born out of the felt need to give the Kerala handloom industry a much-needed impetus.We are a group of women who work with independent teams of weavers across the state and small sets of rural tailors to create handmade home furnishings of the highest finish and quality."

Kate Banazi

2009-07-23T00:58:00.001+05:30

My fav former- Londoner- half- desi from Melbourne , Kate Banazi is back with a series of one off Screen Prints that can only be described as explosive. They're printed on specially made little boxes that I'm actually quite curious to see myself. In the meantime go take a peak here for more from the cleverly titled Neural Housekeeping . And if you are in Melbourne go down and say hello to Kate. And buy her work.