May POOL 2012

May 2012 | # 23 Indian edition

Supported by

“My blog is about spaces and decor that reflect a global eclectic esthetic style, with a huge soft corner for India.”

“I also want to engage in photography together with meditation for more awareness in life.”

Bhavna Bhatnagar 32

Nirmala Savadekar

26

India’s First International Design Magazine D E S I G N • I N N OVAT I O N • C R E AT I V I T Y

typography Vaishnavi Murthy 02

20 FASHION Payal Kothari 30 LAUNCH Sarla Chandra 06

event Typography Day 2012 08

Gurjit Singh Matharoo Photographed by Shilpa Sushil

ANIMATOR Shashank Acharya 14

CRAFT Aditi Babel 16

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Measure It

Abhijit Bansod Studio ABD, India

Kigge Hevid CEO, Index Awards, Denmark

Adil Darukhanawala Editor, Economic Times, Zigwheels, India

Kishor Singh Business Editor, India

Dr. Inyoung Albert Choi Professor, Hanyang University, Korea

Kohei Nishiyama Founder, Elephant Design, Japan

Anaezi Modu Rebrand, USA

Madhukar Kamath Managing Director and CEO, Mudra Group, India

Prof. Anil Sinha Principal, NID, India

M P Ranjan India

Anna Muoio Social Innovation, US

Prasoon Pandey Corcoise Films, India

Anuj Sharma Designer, India

Rajesh Kejriwal Kyoorius Exchange, India

Aradhana Goel Designer / Strategist, Ideo, USA

Rodney Fitch UK

Cathy Huang President, China Bridge Shanghai

Shilpa Das Head, Publications, NID, India

Craig Branigan Chairperson, Landor, CEO, B to D Group, USA

Dr Soumitra R Pathare Psychiatrist, India

Christopher Charles Benninger Architect, Studio CCBA, India

Shrikant Nivasarkar Founder, Nivasarkar Consultants, India

David Berman David Berman Communications, Canada

Subrata Bhowmik Subrata Bhowmik Design, India

Deepika Jindal Managing Director, Artdinox, India

Sudhir Sharma Designindia, India

Essam Abu Awad MIDAS, Jordan

Suresh Venkat CNBC, India

Hrridaysh Deshpande Innoastra, India

Uday Dandavate Sonicrim, USA

Jos Oberdof NPK Design, Netherland

Umesh Shukla Auryn, LA, USA

Julia Chiu Executive Director, JIDPO, Japan

William Drentell Winterhouse, USA

Kieu Pham Haki Brand, Vietnam

William Herald Wong WHW Design, Malaysia

Editor in Chief Sudhir Sharma sudhir@indidesign.in

Finance Kuldeep Harit Deepak Gautam

Copy Editor Ashvina Vakil

Art & Design Pradeep Goswami Swapnil Gaikwad Sayali Lonkar

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(Left to Right) Sudarshan Dheer, Sudhir Sharma & Shriya Nagi at the Typography Day 2012, Mumbai

Ever wondered how we know if design works? We say it is a problem-solving activity; we say it makes life easier; we say it benefits Earth. But, how do we know if it is really doing all this?

What if you ask the same question about art? Does art work? Does branding work? Did a particular advertisement work? What do we mean by ‘work’? What does it do?

How do we know if a business is successful? How do we know if a political party is leading? Mostly you need answers in numbers. Numbers answer a lot of the ‘how’ questions. But most of us in creative fields have always had problems with numbers.

There is no universal way of reaching numbers in what we do…the measurements don’t exist, there are no tools available.

You need to create parameters and tools for every project that you do, and build them as a part of your project to show how you would measure the result. Get familiar with research tools, learn how numbers are sought in various other fields and how we could reach numbers in what we do. Often a final decision on design is a show of hands, but convincing arguments may include numbers and measurements from various research studies. Be aware of what numbers mean; learn to interpret them for clients and other people. They will love you for it. If putting up posters in a mall leads to a 35% increase in complaints, it means people didn’t know where to complain…it doesn’t mean that the posters are increasing complaints!

If 10,000 people like your facebook page, it doesn’t mean you will sell a lot of merchandise. Low cost does not mean appealing, and high cost may not mean no sale. A big number of awards doesn’t mean good quality. A large team does not mean big business.

Search for the figures and interpret them...do that for your own projects. It’s about time we started making sense of numbers.

Sudhir Sharma Editor in Chief sudhir@indidesign.in Publisher INDI Design Pvt Ltd www.indidesign.in

Designindia was founded in 2002. It was started as a platform for interaction for the design community in India and abroad.

Over the years it has grown into a forum spread over many social and professional networking domains, linking design professionals into an active, interactive and thought leading community.

Digital Manish Kori Marianna Korniienko Aboli Kanade Marketing Arjun Samaddar arjun@indidesign.in Tarun Thakkar Assistants Yamanappa Dodamani Shailesh Angre Pranil Gaikwad

May 2012 | # 23 Indian Edition

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buy subscriptions at www.tadpolestore.com 2 POOL | 5.12 | #23

E

Typography Tulu Manuscript (Cover & Inside)

Bangalore-based freelance graphic designer and researcher Vaishnavi Murthy describes herself as a ‘private investigator into the Tulu Script’. Her efforts to create a typeface for the little known South Indian script will go a long way in preserving a rich and vibrant language and culture.

Stylus

script! I am a Tuluva. I know how vibrant and rich the language and culture is. Yet, the absence of a script was mystifying.

As a final year student studying Graphic Design at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, I decided to get hold of the Tulu script and make a typeface for it - purely as an exercise in Typography.

When I went on the field to collect the script sample, I was overwhelmed by the wealth of knowledge hidden behind this script and I’ve been working on this project ever since.

How would you describe your relationship with design?

VM: Design has no boundaries. Being a designer allows me to work freely in areas where I feel my work can make a difference.

How did the ‘Tulu script revival project’ come about?

VM: As a child, I was told, in a spirit one associates with stories of hidden treasures, about the little known Tulu

What is the history of this script?

VM: Tulu evolved from the later Chola Grantha script and underwent some changes due to its practice in isolation. The script was in use for hundreds of years till about a century ago. The Tulu script is seen today mainly on palm leaf manuscripts.

There are hundreds of thousands of such manuscripts, lying unexamined and in poor condition. Like most other regional scripts, Tulu too was used to write Samskrita. But, of the few that

have been read, epic poems, medicinal recipes, daily logs and various other materials have been found written in Tulu language. The Tulu region has been a seat of learning for thousands of years.

In this context, the manuscripts are worth examining.

The first printing press in the Tulunadu area was the Basel Mission Press. When they decided to print books in the Tulu language, they used the Kannada script and not the then common Tulu script.

This decision, made due to economic and political reasons, removed Tulu script from common use. And today, most Tuluvas have forgotten that they ever had a script of their own!

How has the history inspired you?

VM: It was fascinating to discover how printing technology was responsible for the disappearance of the Tulu script from common use. The challenge now is to see if technology could, this time around, be used to bring it back. Tuluva culture has not been stagnant. It has preserved old customs and adapted to modernity

pratichee Imagine if we were to be “poked” in real life like on facebook.I would have slapped them all.

Stupid feature! Never understood it.

www.poolmagazine.in 3

too. I feel the reintroduction of the Tulu script can complete the cultural fabric of Tulunadu.

How are you going about creating the Tulu font?

VM: The Tulu script has never been printed, or standardized. Everyone had a slightly different way of writing the script.

For the Tulu script to be reintroduced, it needs to be standardized so that it can be read easily by everyone. For this, one has to understand the history of the script and the region itself and find out why the handwriting styles are the way they are. This exercise in the Letter ‘K’

end will reflect back in the way the final characters look.

Standardization of the Tulu script required collecting handwriting samples from various regions across the Tulu speaking area, isolating the characters and analyzing them. The final character set was made considering easy readability (since there are character clusters that look similar), translation from a font to a handwriting, legibility, external influences, and so forth.

New glyphs had to be formulated for the phonemes that were found in the Tulu language but were not represented in the script. New characters and their corresponding matras were made. Along with the original characters, this formed the character set which also included the Tulu numbers.

The font family is based on the distinguishing features of the characters. The character skeletons were drawn out keeping in mind the thickness and the treatment that would be given to them while not taking away from the parent forms. The final characters were scanned, traced and refined on a computer using font editing software.

Letter ‘A’ anatomy

The Tulu font Moké has been designed keeping in mind its use as the primary medium of study to learn the Tulu script.

Great care has been taken to stress the proper curves and curls and structure of every character to avoid any unnecessary distortion of the script and to enable easy recall. Moké means love and affection in the Tulu language.

How do you plan to create awareness of the script?

VM: Part of my research involves finding out, from the present practitioners of the Tulu script, how they learnt it. There is no formal system of teaching the Tulu script in place right now. That is the opportunity and the challenge.

Neil Gaiman And Cervantes’ birthday is unknown, while Shakespeare was born AND died on April 23rd, so we only have 1 day to remember. There. Goodnight.

4 POOL | 5.12 | #23

Apart from the traditional approach using text books, other very interesting tools are being looked at. For example, teaching alphabets intuitively - much like we learn language, association of phonemes with their corresponding letters across various media, etc. Since it is a community based project I hope to see more people taking the initiative to own this script and interpret it in a manner they see fit - and to do all this in an open source model.

How important is it to preserve a language today?

VM: The Tulu language is in no danger of disappearing. The script’s disappearance will, however, cause a huge trove of ancient knowledge to vanish too. There are Tulu manuscripts that are nearly 800 years old. These manuscripts are from a period when Indian culture, science and medicine were clearly ahead of that in the West. These manuscripts, as I view them, are time capsules left by our ancestors for us.

Exploration

The true essence of the language can be experienced in its native script. Migrations of languages towards dominant scripts occur quite often due to inadequate support. Not everything that has come into existence needs to be preserved, but when languages are forced to end by a system that is deliberately weeding it out for its own convenience, then it should be dealt with carefully.

By making a standardized typeface for Tulu, I feel I am protecting the script and enabling the scientific and easy documentation of the wealth of ancient Tulu manuscripts. In addition, I am providing the choice of an easy method to appreciate the Tulu language in its richest and native form.

What is your advice to fellow designers?

VM: To develop an Indian design esthetic, knowledge of the history of our visual languages and scripts is important. It would sensitize us towards alternate communication methods, and let us understand what communication is about in the multi-threaded Indian milieu. This is not part of the syllabus in our institutes.

However nothing prevents us from researching into these areas, with passion and persistence. allabouttulu.blogspot.com Â

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Venu Geet

6 POOL | 5.12 | #23

Launch Sarla’s art has been lauded not only across India but also globally. “Sarla’s works deserve to be called ‘sacral’ not because of their subject, but because they originate from the world of imagination itself. Few of us can bring out the creatures of the dreaming mind, the way Sarla can,” says Keshav Malik, Delhibased art critic and curator. Adds art consultant Suhsma Bahl, “There is theatricality in Sarla’s canvases.

Brimming with colorful forms and figures, her art appears entwined in iconography and mythology interlaced with life.”

‘Sarla Chandra - A Journey of Four Decades’ Book Cover

For an artist with a 40-year tryst with Indian art and culture, there can be no greater tribute than seeing her work immortalized in a book. For Sarla Chandra that happened with a retrospective volume titled ‘SARLA CHANDRA - A Journey of Four Decades’. The book was released in Delhi recently by Kumari Selja, Union Minister for Culture and Housing, in the presence of a host of luminaries from the art world.

The impressively produced book, featuring over 350 illustrations, is based on the eternal ‘Tree of Life’- which plays a significant role in sacred Indian culture and tradition.

The artist believes, “Just as a seed when sown into the earth, sprouts, spreads into manifold branches and grows into a tree to support life and bear fruits and flowers, so is the human soul that comes into existence, nourished by the energy of nature and is ever changing in its course of life.”

The book is divided into four chapters to represent the four stages of evolution in Sarla’s creative journey – from the seeds of creativity that inspired her to paint, to the stage of experimentation, to exploring Indian mythological forms, and finally the transformation from a physical to a more philosophical representation of her ideas.

Hailed as an intellectual artist, the 69-year-old Sarla has more than 50 solo exhibitions and 40 group shows to her credit. Painting for her is not merely a profession but ‘a form of meditation, a compulsive inner urge for expression and exploration of the capabilities of the mind’. She has experimented with a variety of mediums – oils, acrylics, watercolors, etching, lithographs - but her unique use of bhojpatra (parchment), ‘repousse’ (metal embossing), and varakh (gold and silver foil) are unorthodox techniques that recreate the aura of our ancient cultural heritage.

“When Sarla’s paintings have come to the Gandhi Memorial Center in Washington, they have awakened visitors to an inner world of self-realization,” says Srimati Kamala, Founder Director, Gandhi Memorial Centre, Washington D.C. “For her, every sight, every sound and every thought must become an opportunity to seek, explore, and draw the Divine through her life as her vision of truth.” In the words of Shehbaz H. Safrani, art historian from New York, “Sarla Chandra has brought a distinctly human dimension to her art. A woman’s version, a mother’s idea and an inevitable female point of view.”

The result of two years of research, the book has been conceptualized, designed and edited by the artist’s daughter, Hansa Piparsania. A writer/photographer, Hansa is based in Manila and has worked with the National Museums at Bangkok and Manila, FM Radio Sultanate of Oman, Madras Craft Foundation and leading advertising agency J. Walter Thompson in Mumbai. sarla_chandra@yahoo.co.in

“This book is a humble effort to organize the volume of my work and came out of a strong urge to strengthen the bond between me and the appreciators of my art,” says the artist herself. “For me sometimes inspiration comes suddenly, other times like a wave, and I just begin to translate the flood of thoughts from my mind, onto my canvas. Even today, after a journey of four decades, I believe I still want to push the boundaries of my mind, my knowledge and my creativity. I want to paint all my life. There is nothing beyond this…it’s just that I must paint.” www.poolmagazine.in 7

Event

‘Typography in Publication Design’ was the theme of Typography Day 2012, held on 1st-3rd March at the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), with support from India Design Association (InDeAs) and Aksharaya. The event, in its fifth edition, included an international conference devoted to addressing issues faced by type designers, type users and type educators; in addition to workshops, exhibitions and presentations.

Among the exhibitions was one featuring winning entries of a poster competition where participants were expected design a poster / create a typographic composition to express their favorite/most meaningful word using the letters in their mother script.

Participants were allowed to use calligraphic, digitally created letterforms, existing fonts, or a combination of these.

Entries came in from across the globe, and here are some of the winners…

(In order to view all the posters, log on to www.typoday.in)

‘Analog’ in English language and Roman script by Esteban J. Pérez, New York, USA 8 POOL | 5.12 | #23

‘I am Alone’ in Nastaliq script by Ali Emrani, Tehran, Iran

‘Calligraphy’ in Nastaliq script by Hamed Hakimi, Tehran, Iran

‘Danceisa’ in Arabic using Nastaliq script by Alireza Khakpour, Fars, Iran

‘Michhami Dukkaddam’ in Marwadi language and Devnagiri script by Yesha Jain, Mumbai, India

‘Agua’ (other wordly) in Portugese language and Roman script by Pedro Miguel da Silva Monteiro, Aveiro, Portugal www.poolmagazine.in 9

‘Death’ in Nastaliq script by Saeed Faraji, Tehran, Iran

‘Infinity’ in Persian langauge by Mohammad Rafiee Sahlabadi, Iran

‘Besmelah’ in Persian script by Syed Hashemi J Seyedeh, Iran 10 POOL | 5.12 | #23

‘Waiting’ in line for essentails in Persian Langauge by Ali Delzendehrooy, Shiraz, Iran

Trapped’ in Farsi language by Sina Fakour, Tehran, Iran

Event

‘Alaukika’ (rare) in Devanagiri script by Apoorv Tomar and Priyanka Parkar, Guwahati, India

‘Bongo’ (Baul musicians of Bengal and Motherland) in Bengali Script by Mrinalini Sardar, Kolkatta, India

‘Light-filled Attic’ in Persian language by Ensieh Knjoori, Kermanshah, Iran

‘Suburbia’ in Roman script by Clara Eckert-Framm, New York, USA

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‘Pochopení’ (understanding) in Czech language by Tomáš Novotný, Borova, Czech Republic

‘Disleksi’ (dyslexia) in Turkish language by Deniz Yeşim Taluğ, Turkey

‘Meshiagare’ (Mother’s food/Bon appétit) in Japanese language by Eri Nakaoka, Kyoto, Japan

‘Love’ in Roman script by Gimminji, Daejeon, S Korea

‘War for Peace’ in Arabic script by Mohsen Abbasghorbani, Iran

‘Jjajangmyeon’ (favourite Korean Dish) in Korean language by Jeonsaetbyeol, Daejeon, S Korea

Team INDI at the Typography Day 2012, Mumbai

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Shashank Acharya tells POOL what it takes to be an animation film designer to be reckoned with...

Be bold!

I would tell young Indian animators to be inspired, enthusiastic, and expressive.

Create your own style; make it bold and justify your place in industry. Animation is a field where one can be a part of the production process and also contribute new ideas through design and concept art. These days, all you need is a computer as a tool to create animation.

Being skilled naturally is a plus point when it comes to taking up animation/ illustration as a career. However, these days there is software which can be learnt even if one does not have a very good hand at drawing. One can practice and share animation from anywhere using the Internet so it does not matter where you are physically. One should keep getting inspired by great illustrators and animators from the world. Learning through tutorials, researching from the Internet, sharing work and attending seminars would help a lot.

Comic page – Car Intrusion (animator expresses his passion towards car chases and action related comic books through this illustration)

The Indian animation industry is growing at great speed. In recent times, the Indian film and television industry has begun using comic books and animation to promote various products. However, compared to the extent this medium is used in the West, the Indian industry is still very conservative. In order to play safe, the Indian film industry is using specialists from the West to recreate what has been done as path breaking work in Hollywood movies. India is rich in culture and mythology. The Indian industry should focus on creating more original IP content through less expensive mediums.

Take your time It’s important to understand the brief given by the client and collect relevant information, and do the research. Follow this up with brainstorming, arriving at the production technique, and deciding on the

KARTIK DHAR Ohhh please IT IS HELPNG THE poor things @maryanntheresa I would like to know how Alicia

Silverstone’s posing nude is helping animals?

14 POOL | 5.12 | #23

Animator style. Then create a sample, get approval from the client, and only then do the final artwork / animation.

My tools depend on the illustration treatment I want to achieve. Drawing with a digitizer on the computer and traditional drawing on paper are both techniques that can help to achieve a great result. It also depends on which tool I am comfortable with at that particular time. A combination is good too. Painter software helps one to achieve effects such as oil paints, crayons, charcoal, etc. Sometimes drawing and painting on the computer is faster so I use that if the deadline is close. I am willing to buy Wacom Cyntiq which allows one to create images by using digitizer directly on display.

Be inspired!

I was passionate about making flip books and comic books as a child. I was also exposed to a lot of movies with action/ fiction/fantasy themes. I always wanted to record my favorite movies in comic books.

As I grew up, I realized that this urge was also because of the lack of merchandise available at that time. As a child I used to organize small exhibitions of my drawings and invite my friends to see them.

Mr. S.M. Shah, a professor from National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad, exposed me to design and encouraged me to take up design as a career. I went on to do my Diploma in Animation Film Design, from NID. I love the work of Alex Ross, Frank Frazetta, Herge, Simon Bisley, Moebius, Frank Miller, Bill Plympton, Gorillaz, Skottie Young, Mort Drukker, Mario Miranda and many more. I like to see the end result which has been achieved after a lot of hard work. It is very heartwarming when people from all walks of life relate to my work. When acclaimed people from the profession appreciate my work, I am driven to produce even better work and take up more challenges. It is my dream to write a story and create a graphic novel - animated feature film based on that.

Take risks I moved to Dubai in the year 2000, when the field of animation concept/content creation was still untapped. Haroun Multi Media, the company I worked for, had a team of five from various disciplines. The

young Syrian partners were very supportive about incubating and shaping new ideas. We used to watch tutorials for audio-visual software and create material for pitching. A lot of work was self-initiated. The potential to generate projects was immense. I managed to create some interesting concept art for animation properties. We worked on the very first animation cum live action TV commercial for the ‘Dubai Summer Surprises’ festival using Modhesh, a jack-in-the-box character. We had to create the commercial in 30 days. It was challenging and we all worked hard and achieved a very fine result. I worked on everything from storyboard and layouts to final animation for the project.

Follow your heart While working in Dubai, I found myself cut off from the fraternity in India. I realized that if I worked in India, networking with local designers from the same field would bring me more opportunities. I also thought that working in a production house would teach me the animation production process. So in 2000 I moved back to Mumbai where I now work as animation film designer and artist with Doodle & Ooze Studios.

An illustration based on the movie ‘Ra.One’

the character G.one in Ra.One - they were to be used for the merchandise - and I was briefed by Shahrukh Khan. Overall, I feel very happy and proud to have worked with and shared the vision of mainstream film directors and producers. acharyashashank.blogspot.com

I got the chance to work on films like Don and Ra.One and with mainstream feature film directors such as Farhan Akhtar and Sajid Khan. I also worked with 2nd Unit directors (sometimes internationally acclaimed) who are specialists in action concepts and execution. I have been part of VFX pre-production too. Ideas are projected to the cast, producers and production team through concept art and storyboards. Pre-production also helps executive producers to discuss, work out budgets, and improve the production quality. I worked on the action poses for

Sahil Khan Orwell was born in Bihar?! :O

Spoofs on Hindi movies created for ‘Cineblitz’ magazine www.poolmagazine.in 15

Craft

Book Sculpture - The Circle of Life

Tell us a little about yourself…

AB: I am an independent book artist, graphic designer, photographer and printmaker based in Udaipur. I’ve done my graduation in Fine Arts from ICG Jaipur, followed by Post Graduation in Visual Communication from Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay. I’ve also done a Specialized Course in Traditional Book Making & Print Making at SRISA, Florence, Italy.

Basically I work with three genres of book making: traditional craft of bookbinding; creating artist books; and creating book sculptures. I started book making as a professional in 2009 and took up teaching (occasionally) for the same in 2010. My graphic design studio is called Abh, while my workshops on book making are held under the name Soch. I have also recently created a company called Babel Books for the artist books that I create.

How did you get into book making and book sculptures?

AB: I have been working on book making and sculptures since 2010. I got introduced to the craft of book making directly from a friend, Anand Prahlad, and indirectly from Prof. Ken Botnic. In 2006, Prof. Ken Botnic visited IDC (my school) as a visiting faculty for a visual communication module but I could not attend as I had fractured my leg. Anand along with several other friends used to visit me and update me about the module. I got really fascinated by the subject and started researching it. I started making books on my own without a formal training in the subject and absolutely loved the process and the craft bit in it.

I then fixed an appointment with Prof. Ken Botnic and met him during his next visit to India, and then there was no stopping me. I went on to get a formal training in the art of book craft in Italy, where I also learnt and practiced other important and relevant subjects like letterpress printing,

screen printing, linoleum, image transfer, photographic processes like Vandyke brown and cyanotype.

Does your work involve the use of new technologies and materials?

AB: Yes, I am definitely working towards it. It was very important for me to first understand the psyche of Indian artisans who handcraft books and also establish myself as a book artist in India with its traditional form. After I saw people, especially the design community, welcoming this subject with such enthusiasm I started experimenting with new materials. The next series that I am creating will see a lot of different materials and experiments with the bindings as well. As for technology, I have already incorporated different tools

Amit Chowdhry Its hot.. Time now to go to my tailor and say “Masterji meri patloon,,, ek bilang choti kar do”!!

16 POOL | 5.12 | #23

Udaipur City Palace (Artist Book)

Animal Book (Artist Book)

and will go on experimenting further to enhance the experience and add value to the books I create.

How long does it take you to work on a piece?

AB: Each book is different. The process for each book is also different. The beauty of this craft is in its detailing and the process of understanding materials, tools and bindings you are working with.

The book sculptures I create take from a week to two to complete. An artist book could take about a month; for example, it took a month to create the children’s book where I took ten different animals and hand crafted them on to the book, while the complete set of ten took five months.

What is the process of creating book sculptures?

AB: The process of creating a book sculpture could be compared to the process of meditation. It’s about total control of your senses. It requires skill but more than that it requires your body, mind and soul to function simultaneously in the same direction. I usually start my sculptures during the early hours of the day. I need my basic tools around and absolute peace and quiet.

Taking one page at a time and following a process for each and every page is what makes it unique at the end. I understand the importance of every fold, its effect on the structure, and apply each fold for every page skillfully to attain a sense of harmony and rhythm. The sculpture looks alive and magnificent after it’s complete because of the focus, precision and skill applied to it.

What sort of books do you use for your sculptures?

AB: I hunt for old books which have an interesting story to tell; sometimes the content also helps in creating or giving a new form to the existing book. And sometimes I pick up an old book in a foreign language just for the thrill of the uniqueness it gives to the complete sculpture.

How do you preserve the sculptures?

AB: It depends on the materials used. With paper different treatments could be done, depending on the age of the paper; the most common is antibacterial treatment.

Where is your work available?

AB: Through Babel Books I have introduced my artist books to retail houses like Pappadum in Chennai, and ecommerce sites like ofindianorigin.uk, itshandmade.in, and aniika.com.

I have also created a few custom books, Currently I am working on a wedding invite in which I have incorporated an artist book – that has made a mundane invite much more interactive and interesting. The first exhibition of my book sculptures was held in Bangalore early this year. I recently displayed my books at a private exhibition in Udaipur.

What is your main target market?

AB: My first collection was more about my approach and inspirations for the subject.

My target groups for artist books were children between the ages of 7 to 15, and people who like to collect limited edition books. Resorts and unique homes were my primary targets for sculptures, since they become interesting wall hangings and good interior options.

Some would say that book sculptures negate the basic purpose of a book, which is reading. Do you face such criticism?

AB: Yes, there have been occasions when I have been questioned about that, and there also have been occasions when people have told me how these sculptures can become amazing convocation gifts for graduating students! I make sculptures out of books that have been discarded or thrown away by people. I believe giving

Book Sculpture - The Inner Folds

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Headline ENTRAVIEW BY ICARUS DESIGN WINS GOLD MEDAL AT THE DST-LOCKHEED MARTIN INDIA INNOVATION AWARDS

a new form to an existing one creates excitement and a sense of joy. Sometimes it is the process of deconstruction of the form, but like I mentioned before, for me, it’s a process of meditation not destruction.

What other challenges do you face?

AB: The biggest challenge so far has been the attitude of people (non designers) towards this art form. If they have not known this art form before they are unwilling to acknowledge it as one.

Of course things are changing slowly but it’s a slow and difficult process. After two years of practicing and teaching I still have to depend on my graphic design projects to earn my bread and butter.

I have a long way to go before I can take it up full time and incorporate my graphic design understanding to it rather than depending wholly on it.

Do your hobbies and interests reflect in the kind of work you do?

AB: I like paper craft, doodling, collecting posters and papers from around the world, reading graphic novels, music, dance, theater, watching sports, traveling, photography and studying different art forms from different places. My interests have a strong presence in my work, both graphic

designing and book making, especially in my choice of colors and detailing.

Who are your inspirations?

AB: My family, my friends and my city are the most important and constant inspirations for me. Traditional craft and art forms of Asia inspire me a lot.

Book makers, illustrators, musicians and sportsmen from around the world…

I can’t pick just a few. Children from my workshops and students from design schools also inspire me.

What projects are you currently engaged in?

AB: I have been working on a new series of limited edition artist books, which should be out in the next two months. I am organizing a couple of workshops in Bangalore and Udaipur in the months of May and June for children and people keen to learn this craft. I am also planning to develop a book making kit for children and design students with instruction manuals, tools and materials.

Where do you see your craft evolving in the next few years?

AB: Now that my basics are strong I am moving into an experimental phase with this craft, so in the next couple of years you will see books in a lot of different materials and unique structures. I am also hoping to train a couple of design students and artisans to bring innovation into this craft, to fill the gap between the artist and the buyer, and revive the set pattern of bookbinding (in India) for contemporary society. I want to develop Babel Books and create many more workshops on book making around India, especially for school going kids and design students/ graduates. I hope to evoke more interest in this area and hope that more design and art students will work to develop new possibilities for this craft. www.aditibabel.co

Sapna Behar of Icarus collects the Gold medal

ENTraview, a battery operated handheld examination tool for ENT doctors and general practitioners, was a gold medalist at the ‘Innovators competition’ of the recently concluded Department of Science and Technology (DST)-Lockheed Martin India Innovation Growth program – 2012.

Developed by Icarus Nova, it was judged one of the top 30 technology innovations in the country from the over 800 technologies evaluated.

Proof of Concept Prototype of ENTraview

The device is a great boon for ENT doctors who have to rely on basic tools like mirrors, torches and tongue depressors to examine patients.

ENTraview enables better visual access to the problem areas of the ear, nose and throat for early and accurate diagnosis. It allows recording and retrieving of data for future reference. It is portable and low cost, thereby increasing accessibility and affordability. Based on effective integration of a mechanical adaptor, light source, hardware and software, the compact, battery operated handheld device is highly ergonomic to use. The mechanical adaptor allows easy interchangeability of ear, nose or throat scope, while the light source is built in and optimized for the three scopes. Video recordings of the examination can be stored in the device, and later transferred to a computer.

ENTraview will particularly ease things for doctors in rural healthcare centers, who have to see hundreds of patients every day, and are often unable to make a timely diagnosis. The interface is very simple and easy to use, requiring almost no training for doctors, and minimal training for health care workers. content@poolmagazine.in

Book Sculpture - The Broken Folds www.poolmagazine.in 19

Architect Gurjit Singh Matharoo is as happy racing fast cars as he is creating strikingly individual, and interestingly named, spaces for clients who allow him and his team to stretch the boundaries of design How would you describe your relationship with architecture and design?

GM: My great grandfather worked as a drafts person for the British.

There were no architects at that time, about 100 years ago. So I guess designing buildings has been in my blood. Another strong influence was my early days in Jodhpur, where all around I saw large stones being chiseled and transformed into modern buildings. My father’s contribution as a structural designer made our firm an integrated unity, handling architecture, interiors, product and structural design.

In my childhood, I used to see my father dismantle and put back his BSA 500 motorcycle every three years or so. Observing him developed this interest in me that I am able to pursue till today as a hobby. We have reached the stage where we can dismantle and are now learning to assemble them back too! My architect wife joined in later, and now there is no escape! I am passionate about Product Design - Automobile Design in particular. I have also been carrying out research in motorcycles with frameless design and alternative advanced front and rear suspension and steering concepts.

How was your experience studying at the School of Architecture, CEPT? GM: I obtained a Diploma in Architecture from the School of Architecture, Centre

Kali Ciesemier Cycle: Sketching, sketching becomes difficult, freak out over bad sketches, lament lack of creativity, sketch more, figure something out.

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Cover Story

Watercolor rendering of Matharoo Studio (medium for initial concepts)

for Environment Planning and Technology (CEPT) in Ahmedabad, and I owe all I am to the fantastic school founded by Prof.

B. V. Doshi. As students it was a place for acute inquiry. We had some great teachers, and many memorable mad moments we feel nostalgic about. We lost and made some friends for life.

What led to the formation of Matharoo Associates?

GM: A friend from Switzerland sketched (those were the pre-Google days) me a house designed by an architect named Luigi Snozzi. So mesmerized was I by the design that I decided to train under him. A year later, I got a job with Snozzi’s assistant, Architect Michele Arnaboldi, in the same office. On returning to India, I was offered a job as visiting faculty in my alma mater CEPT in Ahmedabad, at `80 an hour for 40 hours a month, a far cry from SFR3000 in the Swiss Alps! As a fringe benefit of being a junior faculty, I got a hostel room to stay in, and I bought a cycle for `200 from a home bound friend of mine. This became the raison d’être for staying in Ahmedabad. In a loaned space, enough to fit two drawing boards, in a large office overlooking the river Sabarmati, we began taking part in competitions to get some work.

Fortunately we won some and Matharoo Associates was born. Later we bought the same office. We are still by the river,

and have grown to a team of 15-20 people. I still go to teach at CEPT, and ride a Ducati to work.

How do you approach a project and execute a concept?

GM: The client’s brief and site requirements are listed down and we have a short internal competition. The entire team comes up with concepts, and an idea or two are chosen by secret vote, so there is no bias. I also win sometimes!

Good points from other themes are then added, these ideas are beautifully rendered in watercolor by our in-house artists cum architects, so as to bring out the essential feel of the place. This mix of intuitive thoughts and the rationale behind them is then presented to clients.

We look for peculiarities in the client’s brief, and context that could render in our creations an individual character in the direction less explored. That is why each building is a customized solution for a client’s requirements and we don’t repeat our designs. Besides, there are intangible factors in a building. The question of whether you enjoy being in a building, whether you are psychologically comfortable with it, whether the building elevates you from a normal being to a higher being, are most essential questions.

Our buildings aim at taking one from routine experiences to a level of existence with a high emotive content.

In the development stage that follows next, we satisfy even the smallest of the client’s functional requirements, this being our minimum guarantee, and then incorporate the structure, the services and the landscape into the design to make it an integrated whole. With our internal working philosophy of ‘when in doubt, reduce’ clients are ensured that if not more, we will be able to save at least the amount of fees they pay us from the project cost, because of our innovative solutions. Our service is thus free and design, a bonus.

What are your expectations from your team?

GM: We have a small handpicked team, which is the backbone of the office. At last count, the average distance traveled by a team member from his residence to our studio was in excess of 2,000 km, and our average age is around 30. So we have a good cultural mix and a healthy competitive environment. Being small, it is easy to imbibe in them the values we uphold, and each drawing made is personally reviewed by me, something that is not possible with larger offices. Our first and foremost commitment is to our clients, who have bestowed faith in our abilities and novel approach to design. A time commitment given to a client is not broken and the architect on the project handles and manages everything – meetings, drawings, consultants, visits, even my

SarrajuNarasingaRao @anandmahindra The middle ground is only fashionable in good times, when people

plump up and life is easy. Hard times incite hardline views.

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Handle carved into solid wood (Parag Shah residence, Surat)

by hand first. They are more truthful and honest; maybe you call it old school but we still prefer to keep it this way.

So initial concepts are all sketches and watercolors and they are later developed in detail on the computer.

The Curtain Door (Shantam, Surat); Winner of The AR Emerging Architecture Awards 2009

time needed on the project. Moreover, we have maintained a code of conduct and completely ethical approach to the profession. It is this goodwill and not liquid that we have earned, and that is our biggest asset.

You still work with the old school methods of sketching out a plan by hand…

GM: Computers are now the main medium for production of drawings.

However, working by hand helps in having a seamless flow of thought expressed directly through the skill of the hand. The hand and mind are working on line (to use the computer analogy!) with each other. The more things added in between, more is the gap between what is intended and what is delivered. For example, someone told me that a few years back when you typed ‘Anna’ on Google, Anna Kournikova used to pop up! It’s not the same anymore. Same for the designs they connect better to our minds if drawn

There is a distinct language of concrete in the space that you design. What other materials do you experiment with?

GM: Most buildings around us are constructed in concrete. What we do additionally to concrete, or rather do less to it, is to keep it exposed and not cover it in plaster. When I came back from Switzerland what hit me the most was the appalling construction quality in India. So initially the reason to specify exposed concrete in buildings was to get better construction quality; with the concrete left exposed, it is impossible for the contractor to do a bad job, as it will be evident on the face and thus rejected.

Then with steel, plywood, rough wood, and stone used in formwork, we were getting profound textures which were breaking the harsh sun falling on it, much like carvings do to a temple in the light.

Unlike the western world, where concrete buildings end up being six times more expensive than a normal building - a reason why only the US government and

some Swiss citizens can afford them - we found that concrete buildings in India were actually less expensive than normally clad buildings. This is because they use very little material - material being 70% of the cost in India. We also end up saving up to 5% space because of thinner walls, equivalent to an extra room in a small house. Land prices in India are some of the highest; why lose precious land forever in dead walls?

Besides concrete we have built an entire building in stainless steel. We use stone a lot, since India is blessed with inexpensive but beautiful and durable stones. We love wood, but mindful of the depleting resource, use it conservatively. So, no material is actually taboo in our studio.

We try to keep them in their natural state and bring out their inherent hues, textures and other characteristics with natural light playing on them.

How do you feel about the many awards the firm has won?

GM: Our winning streak started early and by the year 2009 we were the only architectural firm globally to have featured in the International Emerging Architecture Awards a record four times, culminating in us winning the top slot for ‘The Curtain Door’. In celebration, I raced around Silverstone circuit in a single seater formula car.

In 2010, our ‘House with Balls’ got us the winning award for the ‘Best One of House in the World’ and it was time for a Porsche in Wales with the family.

SwAti B. hahaha amusing when people have “watermark” on their shitty photographs, their so-called work.

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Cover Story

“Most buildings around us are constructed in concrete. What we do additionally to concrete, or rather do less to it, is to keep it exposed and not cover it in plaster.”

Weekend house by the sea, Raigad; all floors are connected through an aquatic animal-like curvaceous form

In 2011, the ETH Institute in Zurich, through their global research, placed us as one of seven promising architectural practices worldwide. The time was ripe for a Jaguar in the South of Spain.

We are now shortlisted for the most prestigious BSI Swiss Architectural Awards, given to one practice, once every two years, and are hoping for an even faster dash across Germany.

Besides the celebrations, these escalating awards are a barometer of the unrelenting - friends call it Mat-haroo, Hindi for ‘never lose’ - spirit of our endeavors. Every award is a huge pat on the back for our brilliant team, that together we are able to create some of the best buildings in the world.

outskirts. He wanted four 10,000-liter fish tanks and a room. The room would serve as an observatory, a weekend retreat and a place for experiments in sustainability like cooling through earth (ETHE), biogas, rainwater harvesting, and a windmill perhaps. ‘House with Balls’ was fondly named by the people at the office. However, its initial name was quite different.

During the course of construction, once the fish tanks were ready, some fish were brought in to acclimatize them to their new concrete environment. The locals were already looking

Could you elaborate on the concept of the ‘House with Balls’?

GM: The client has an aquarium shop in the city. One day he came up with this unusual brief for a 600 square yard plot on the

Net House, Ahmedabad – Winner, International Architecture Awards 2011

suspiciously at the strange structure coming up in their serene surroundings.

The word spread that the glass windows were for customers standing outside to look through and choose the fish! Once chosen, they would be picked through the windows above, and the counter and sink would then be used for cutting and packing! The dangling balls were some kind of wholesale weighing mechanisms!

And the name struck! We were used to our buildings being called water tanks, dams, prisons, institutes, etc., but ‘Matsya Udyog’ (fish factory) was our first! So much so that it scandalized the strict vegetarian community in the area and our client was summoned by the organizers to stop his fishy business! Only he knows how he convinced the organizers since by this time even we were left in doubt

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Cover Story

Runners-up, The WAN House of the Year Award 2006. The internal courtyard forms the heart of the residence (Ashok Patel residence, Ahmedabad)

if the locals were reading our deeper subconscious desires.

Do you have plans to take Matharoo Associates into the international arena?

GM: We are now beginning to be known in India. The international media had spotted us in 2003 with the first award we won in the Emerging Architecture category and they have been tracking us since. There are at least six major international publications featuring our works annually. I get invited to about three international conferences ‘Shantam’ - Living areas looking out to the landscape

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Composed of a square helix, the 2 inch thick stairs (Ashok Patel residence, Ahmedabad)

as a jury member or keynote speaker yearly, and awards have been rolling in, so we are fortunate on that account. It is a project that could make our presence in another country imperative. Some time back we were selected as the only Indian firm to be part of Ordos 100; a project in Inner Mongolia (in -25Âş C) as one of 100 architects designing one house each, in a unique architectural museum of sorts, presently under construction. But since the Chinese are good at execution, even executions, maybe our presence is not so essential there!

What is your primary focus when it comes to your academic involvement?

GM: While teaching, usually in design studios, I follow the same approach as in our office.

I encourage students to follow their instincts and produce design and work without the burden of intellectual justification. Let the design speak for itself. This enables them to have huge confidence in their abilities and bring out the best individualistic outcome, which is fresh and innocent.

We try to follow a direct hands-on approach. For one studio exercise to get the students started, we asked them to cast their alternative designs in chocolate, and while the chosen one would be preserved, the rest could be eaten up the minimum requirement being that they

‘House with Balls’, Ahmedabad; Winner of The AR House Award 2010 & Commendation, The AR Emerging Architecture Awards 2009

should be digestible. Being miniature and precious, students skillfully crafted the alternate designs, merrily eliminating the unwanted ones on the way and eventually in an exhibition that resulted there was at least one for each student of the entire school.

What is your advice to new generation architects and designers?

GM: Like the first serve in tennis, give each project your best shot – it might actually be accepted. Unlike other animals, human occupation in buildings destroys that part of our limited earth forever; therefore this inherently destructive process must be made as creative as possible. Also just like a hybrid car is the most polluting vehicle, cotton the worst eco choice and agriculture the most destructive activity on earth, current ideas on sustainability may be completely warped and require to be looked at afresh.

After we finished the house for Parag Shah in Surat, other architects started asking us, ‘How do you get clients who allow you to do all of this?’ It left me wondering how he came to us. This client had been part of a funeral in a crematorium designed by us, took our number from the death registrar’s office and called us to design a house for him!

The crematorium had been selected through a national open competition and was constructed four years prior to his visit. The competition was one of many that we had taken part in, and one of the very few designs which actually got built.

All it takes is five years of no work and only taking part in competitions; 10 competitions entered, four winning entries, one project that makes it into construction, 1,000 people a day, i.e., 15 lakh visitors in the four years since its completion, and at least one death and bingo! Anyone could have a client like ours!

What’s next for you and Matharoo Associates?

GM: We have an interesting mixed bag of projects that we are waiting eagerly to complete. There is a house which has large remote controlled screens of stone with fossilized plants in it. This is set against the actual vertical landscape, similar in character. Together, they create an illusion of what is real, what is reflected and what is a reflection of reality. We are calling it ‘Moving Landscapes’.

In another institutional building which has occasional public events, the giant walls of the three-storey building move out to render the otherwise closed building entirely open to public. We have named it ‘Shifting Borders’.

In a subterranean house fully buried under a green landscape, there is a 10 lakh liter rainwater tank with a swimming pool above it, creating ripples, with layers of water below. This one is called the ‘Undercurrent House’.

As with the titles, our projects are also injected with a dose of wit, so buildings are not bogged down by ennui, and are fun and playful. Vagish – a landscape designer and an associate from the early days – wrote an article about this aspect of ours and called it ‘Witness to Design’.

Come August and we will move into our new studio, presently under construction.

The basement will have a mechanical workshop for our nefarious underground activities. The entire studio faces a swimming pool, our hangover from the present riverside office, and the name is obvious - ‘The Pool’! www.matharooassociates.com

Naturally lit living space (Parag Shah residence, Surat) www.poolmagazine.in 25

Photography What does photography mean to you?

NS: I’m so grateful to this art form that has allowed me enough to express myself.

I call myself a ‘Photo Whisperer ‘. Looking back at all my themes, I can link them into a story…each is a state and stage in my life. It has been therapeutic for me.

Photography has brought so much joy to me, and lot of recognition and accolades.

It has given me a chance to see the world which everyone sees in my own unique way. It has given me an identity as an artist, in which I take pride. It has taught me to be 100% in the moment.

Photography helps seize and freeze a moment. It has taught me the ephemeral aspect of life…what is here will not be there the next moment.

Did you always want to be a photographer?

NS: No, not really. I did MBA to join our family business, which is bidi manufacturing! However, according to family tradition only the male child was taken on as partner. I didn’t want to do a job, so photography, which was my childhood hobby, came to my rescue. I did a basic course in photography and started with marriage videos and photos. Then I started doing industrial photography, portraits for magazines, and images for calendars. I also assisted Late Wilas Bhende for some time. I won several CEAD (Creative Excellence in Advertising and Design) awards in the photography category. Now, life has become a full circle - I am partly involved in the family business and I have my photography too!

5x7 Gold Luminous

What is fine art photography?

NS: It simply means photography as an art form, where the photographer expresses himself or herself, without being assigned.

So the work comes from the natural self.

What is your personal choice of subject?

NS: My personal photography has somehow been about objects, forms, colors, light and shadow. I really don’t decide anything; I just see the pictures in front of me. Something touches me and it awakens me, and then it is a miracle…

I start seeing things to fit that theme.

Sometimes, the theme takes years to complete, at other times just a few months.

Fine art photographer Nirmala Savadekar uses her camera to capture light and shadows and other ephemeral moments, even as she works at giving them permanence through innovative photographic processes

Hindu Americans Who cares what Manu Joseph has to say about Kashmir? I’d rather hear what Kashmiri Pandits

have to say. They are the original inhabitants.

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Forlorn Abstract - Series

Tell us a bit about your ‘Luminous’ and ‘Polka Dot’ series.

NS: ‘Luminous’ is very dear to my heart.

It has such muted colors…as if there is absence of color. It’s a homecoming…from shadows to light. I was using too much shadowless lighting in my assignment work and thought the esthetics of shadows was totally being missed. So I started my art photography with shadows and soon I became aware of light.

Shadows exist due to light and where there is light there will be a shadow. I feel shadows give depth and dimension.

Light as a subject also intrigued me. The ‘Luminous’ pictures are just streaks of light through my window falling on the wall. It is so fascinating to see this dance of light! ‘Polka Dots’ happened on London streets. I saw a display window with a lot of dots, and as I walked on I started noticing more and more dots.

What are the different photographic processes you use?

NS: I decided to use the alternative photographic processes of platinum and gold (chrysotype) as I wanted some of my themes to be permanent and live beyond my lifetime - especially the ‘Luminous’ series. In these processes, everything is handcrafted, from the paper, and surface coating to the processing; and the metals give permanence, so that the photographs will last for centuries to come. They don’t fade unlike the other currently available processes and can be cherished by whoever holds them by way of collecting. I want collectors to leave my photographic art to their heirs as family heirlooms.

What are your interests and inspirations?

NS: I am interested in world music, new age therapies, particularly art for awareness, entrepreneurship, leadership, spirituality, psychology, and vintage car rallies! Photography comes naturally to me – it’s absolutely effortless. Even I don’t know why I like and shoot what I do! I would like to believe that my art is a result of my past life karma and current life’s events and experiences. My inspiration

SG So this client, she makes word docs that are more than 7 MBs! How does she manage that?#horrorStoriesFromWork www.poolmagazine.in 27

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CALL FOR ENTRIES WIN A TRIP TO LOS ANGELES, ADOBE SOFTWARE AND CASH The Awards celebrate innovative students and faculty members from all over the world for their achievements using the dynamic combination of technology and the creative arts. For this year‘s competition, students are encouraged to CREATE YOUR WINGS AND FLY.

2012 Judging Schedule: 1) November 28, 2011 – January 27, 2012 – Semifinalists announced in February 2012 2) January 28, 2012 – April 27, 2012 – Semifinalists announced in May 2012 3) April 27, 2012 – June 22, 2012 – Semifinalists announced in July 2012

28 POOL | 5.12 | #23 free to enter | www.adobeawards.com | www.facebook.com/adobeawards

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Photography

Polka Dots - Series

to live my life comes from Rumi, Osho, Louise Hay, my loved ones, art forms like design, color, poetry…all the beauty and all the sadness and suffering I see around me.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a photographer?

NS: In my case there are often such big gaps in my photography, that I sometimes forget that I am a photographer! I have realized that in these big gaps, I am always absorbing and living life in totality with all its ups and downs, its challenges, its beautiful moments, and its traumas.

It’s like slow dum cooking that happens before the photography happens….

successful - good for them. But I personally think this is an art form so some of your own esthetics must be reflected in your work.

What is your focus for the future?

NS: I want to attract the right kind of collectors who will respect my esthetics and take pride in owning my photographic work. I want to promote art photographs and corporate portraits printed in precious platinum and gold. I also want to engage in photography together with meditation for more awareness in life. www.neermalasavadekar.com

Is photography a natural skill or can it be learnt?

NS: It’s both but one has to have a natural flair for it. I know so many who have the technical expertise and are Shadows & Unseen Rain - Series

Visual Idiot New version of Photoshop CS6 officially released. Pricing is rumoured to be an arm and 1.4 legs. www.poolmagazine.in 29

Fashion

When did you make the transition from marketing graduate to shoe designer?

PK: After getting a bachelor’s degree in Marketing in USA, I was left with so many options without being an expert at any one thing. That bothered me as I believed that one should be the best at what one does. As fashion was always something I wanted to pursue and my job at Reuters wasn’t holding my attention, I began taking some classes at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. I wanted to study a field that was specialized, so I chose Accessory Design.

It is a very technical science, as you work in millimeters and inches, and balance is key. I think trying to balance the shoes and design gives me a sense of calm and balance.

I also studied advanced shoe making at Accademia Riaci in Florence, Italy. In Italy they make shoes with as much ease and pleasure as they would cook up pasta! In Florence my professor was known in the fraternity as the Grand Maestro Shoe Maker.

How did ‘Veruschka

by Payal Kothari’ come about?

PK: After graduating from F.I.T., I worked as an Accessory Designer for the brand Nina & Delman on 5th Avenue in New York. Designing shoes on paper suddenly began to take life.

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My designs were taking shelf space at reputed stores like Bergdoff Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales.

That gave me a lot of confidence but I had little creative freedom as I worked for a design house. On returning to India I launched my own footwear brand in Mumbai called ‘Veruschka by Payal Kothari’. I wanted the brand to be known by its name - not mine. We make handcrafted shoes, and have recently introduced a new diffusion line called ‘Varg

by Veruschka’. The journey was difficult from designing shoes to being a designer and creating Veruschka and attaching the goodwill the brand holds today. Last year Shubha Sethi joined Veruschka as Business Partner. She brings a fresh perspective to the brand, adding immense value from a customer point of view.

What kind of craftsmen do you work with?

PK: From the day I began my factory, I have been working with the same craftsmen. They all have been trained by me and are well aware of the level of perfection a Veruschka shoe demands.

A Veruschka shoe is never an easy shoe to create as we continuously experiment with lasts and patterns. Last summer I visited Milan to learn advanced shoe making, and I have now trained my craftsmen in the Italian shoe making techniques that I learnt.

How is a Veruschka shoe made?

PK: Once the shoes are sketched, and fabrics, materials and hardware are sourced, we go into making prototypes, leading to final samples that go into production once tested for comfort. The silhouettes are perfected in our factory, with several rounds of trial and error to make a shoe that is not only visually beautiful but also thoughtfully comfortable. Each shoe is hand lasted and thus we do cater to a lot of customization for clients.

What inspires your designs?

PK: Travel, travel and more travel is where I get my inspiration from. I am not sure if I travel to get inspired for work or work so I can travel! No matter where I travel, my shoes have a certain element of

AFAR - High collar & wooden carved heel boots.

Colored jute brings an urbanism while the design oozes dominance

architecture that most often come with the vertiginous heels Veruschka is known for. Each of my shoes has a name and they are often inspired by different cities I have visited around the world. When I was in Italy last year, I visited the city of Burano which is known for the lace it produces; I incorporated the lace in my shoe, calling it the Burano. Meeting interesting new people inspires me. I grew up in Africa and my Resort LFW 2012 collection is inspired by African tribes. I have used wedges and wooden carved heels inspired by traditional African art and each shoe design is named after a particular tribe.

You say on your blog, ‘I create what I can’t find’. What haven’t you found recently that you would like to design?

PK: I began designing shoes because I could never find the shoes I liked. My new LFW (Lakme Fashion Week) Collection is a prime example of what I could not find in the market. The designs are what I would wear and the colors are those I would like to see in my shoe closet.

this will change in a few years. Accessory designers abroad are taken more seriously while Indian designers give Indian accessory designers step-child treatment.

How is Indian fashion perceived abroad?

PK: I don’t think Indian fashion has made waves abroad. Not a single Indian clothing chain store has opened internationally.

However, recently some western designers are taking Indian inspirations for their creations, like Christian Louboutin who created Bollywood inspired shoes, but the buck stops there.

Where is Veruschka heading next?

PK: Veruschka as a brand wants to expand internationally. Currently we are selling in Italy, Manila and Dubai, and we hope to reach out to other countries. We also are looking forward to opening up our own flagship store in Mumbai. www.veruschkashoes.blogspot.in

How has a platform such as the Lakme Fashion Week helped you grow commercially and as a designer?

PK: LFW is a platform where designers can showcase their work and celebrate talent with other designers from the fraternity. With each season at LFW we try to grow and mature as designers, making us better at what we do.

How would you compare accessory design abroad with accessory design in India?

PK: If we are talking of comparing achievement or fulfillment at work, I would say back in New York I was creating designs for the company and had little creative freedom, but here I create for myself and I have no restrictions. In terms of global market share, here in India we do not even skim the edges of that pie.

Hopefully,

MASAI - Well balanced elements on the wooden heel with embroidery rich in color and texture

Veruschka at the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Resort 2012

SWAHILI With elements of zebra, orange tassel embroidery and criss-cross pattern - trendy yet comfortable

ZULU - The beauty of this shoe is in the colors and how they blend into each other to create this high fashion of the runway look

www.poolmagazine.in 31

Blogger edge product design and modern linear architecture. My creative high also comes from the simple beauty and music in day to day life. I enjoy observing and feeling the form, flow and colors of things and nature around us.

What is your blog about?

BB: My blog is about spaces and decor that reflect a global eclectic esthetic style, with a huge soft corner for India. It’s my virtual gallery where I curate art, design and interiors that inspire me, as also share with the larger world the incredible richness of Indian art and crafts, and interior design that is inspired by India. Via ‘An Indian Summer’, I also like to provide my global readers an insight into the work of contemporary Indian designers and artisans. I love to showcase the hugely talented pool of young Indian designers and also distinctive work from amateur creative people. Since one of my other passions is travel, I also showcase unique and beautifully designed, little known resorts/B&Bs across the world. At the end of the day, the idea is to present beautiful decor and interiors, to inspire, and which, with a little bit of ingenuity and creativity, you could actually recreate in your home.

’s blog havna Bhatnagar B nt lta su on C te ra as Corpo e of her other avatar ic vo e th is ’ er m m nt ‘An Indian Su or Styling Consulta ri te In d an n ig es D a Creative How did ‘An Indian Summer’ come about?

BB: I am a corporate consultant and a design blogger, in equal parts. When I started the blog five years back, I was working in a senior role at a multinational organization. One hot and dry afternoon in June 2007, I finally gave in to the strong creative urge inside me, and started the blog ‘An Indian Summer’. The name was inspired by the uniqueness and the sensory explosion of the summers in the northern part of India – the heat; flowers like amaltas, bougainvillea, gulmohar, bela; fruits like mango and jamun; and the smell of the earth after a spell of rain...

I wanted the name of the blog to evoke these sensory experiences. My husband and I had then just designed and built our very first home, and hence the urge to keep exploring inspiring architecture and interiors was very strong. After about a year of blogging, I decided to quit my full time job and launch out as an independent consultant to be able to pursue the many activities I was passionate about. I now happily divide my time between corporate consulting projects, writing the blog and associated creative activities and projects.

What role does art and design play in your life?

BB: I have always been drawn towards art, design, esthetics and style. My interest is wide and varied. For example, while on one hand I am inspired by the incredible art, craft and textile tradition of India, on the other hand, I also appreciate cutting 32 POOL | 5.12 | #23

What does blogging mean to you?

BB: Whether to blog or not, and also what to blog about is a very individual choice. For me, what started as a personal creative outlet soon became a space where I shared my design selections and opinions with a large audience, a medium for interaction with other creative peeps and bloggers. Now when I blog, I not only blog about what I like, but almost curate design and interiors keeping in mind the audience and their expectations from the blog. The readers, their comments and their opinions are an integral part of the entire blogging experience for me.

How do you drive traffic to your blog?

BB: My blog has 4,000 to 6,000 visitors each day. Over the years ‘An Indian

Summer’ has been able to establish a distinctive presence in the world of decor blogs. I think the USP lies in my connect with the readers and the fact that I work hard to showcase fresh content rather than repeating what might be the trending hot topic, and hence oft repeated content of the moment, in the blog world. I am thrilled, and constantly motivated to do more in the creative field, by the response and the appreciation ‘An Indian Summer’ gets from readers, design experts and fellow bloggers across the world.

How much time do you spend on your blog?

BB: From researching content, to creating posts, to responding to emails, comments, and social media activity, I spend around four to five hours on the blog each day.

Does your experience as corporate consultant help your blogging?

BB: I think having spent a fair amount of time in the corporate world has helped me leverage certain skills, like project management, time management, communication and understanding your audience, for blogging as well as any creative project that I pick up.

Does your blog help you network?

BB: Absolutely! The blog has introduced me to a completely new network of creative people who share similar passions and interests. There is an active design blogger community in India which shares ideas and opinions and supports issue resolution as and when necessary.

The larger global design blogger community is also very supportive and appreciative of the presence and value of Indian design blogs.

What tips would you give budding bloggers?

BB: Have an independent and unique voice and content. Do not be yet another copy of the current popular blog.

Appreciate and respect your reader’s opinions (especially if your blog is for public consumption). At the same time, be watchful of trolls and do not let unsolicited negative criticism affect you. Network, but do not spam your fellow bloggers and your facebook/twitter contacts with links to your blog and latest blog posts and such. Let your content speak for you.

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