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Ram Sinam pg 10 | Photographed by Moirangthem Ranjit Mahendra Chauhan 02 Shekhar Gurera 24 Sreenihal Pouka 30 Rina Singh 36 Prateek Vatash 42 Avantika Kumar Agrawal 48 Payal Khandwala 56 S Balaram 62
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Editor in Chief | sudhir@indidesign.in
July 2017 | # 83
(From L to R) Tong Xin, Deputy Secretary General of CIDA; Ying Fangtian, Vice President & Secretary General of CIDA; Sudhir Sharma; Pradyumna Vyas and Liu Ning, President of CIDA
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Ram Sinam pg 10 | Photographed by Moirangthem Ranjit Mahendra Chauhan 02 Shekhar Gurera 24 Sreenihal Pouka 30 Rina Singh 36 Prateek Vatash 42 Avantika Kumar Agrawal 48 Payal Khandwala 56 S Balaram 62
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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.
A New Design Ecology Following up on WIDC 2016 where more than 26 global design organizations came together in China, in June this year CIDA (China Industrial Design Association) invited 10 global organizations to report progress on WIDC’s agenda for last year, and to announce the agenda for this year. Officials from the Chinese government, representatives of international organizations, including Mr. Pradyumna Vyas of India Design Council, attended this meeting; I was there as a representative of Pool Magazine. Liu Ning, President of CIDA, released the preparation work for the 2nd WIDC, the theme for which will be ‘Design Ecology’. This will mainly focus on five topics of Design Education, Design Industry and Policy, Design Capital and Design Entrepreneurship, Design Culture, and Sustainable Development and Design Collaborations. Introducing the achievements of the 1st WIDC, Ying Fangtian, VP and Secretary General of CIDA, announced that WIDC will establish an iCity, a design open university, an International Design Expo, a Design Museum, and a Design Fund Town by absorbing the wisdom of global design. Pool Magazine is now working on a new plan of action based on this agenda and would like to take Indian designers along with it to the new collaborations.
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PRODUCT DESIGN
Watch designing is all about the minute detailing, says Mahendra Chauhan, who heads a talented team of designers at one of the world’s largest watch companies
Titan EDGE. Red Dot Design Award winner 2013
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While Ram Sinam, founder of Wari Watai, a multi-disciplinary design studio based in Bangalore, prefers to work in an informal set-up, he is very focused when it comes to creating design that transcends mere function
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CARTOONIST
Shekhar Gurera has spent years observing the common man in an effort to add wit and character to his work as an editorial cartoonist for several leading Indian publications
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ILLUSTRATOR
Monk students, Sikkim
Freelance illustrator Sreenihal Pouka goes where his work takes him, enjoying an easy fluidity that reflects in his work
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TEXTILE
Rina Singh brings together the efforts of many to create a brand that stands out for its commitment to sustainability and traditional textile techniques
Wild West Style
How would you describe Eka? RS: Eka, in Sanskrit, means ‘one’ and echoes the singular effort of many individuals. Eka finds charm in the familiar - pastoral pleasures, a lilting breeze or the warmth of a lifelong friend. This spirit takes shape in soulful clothing that lives on through individual expression. We make our own textiles, favoring the mechanics and raw beauty of natural fibers. They become our canvas upon which every layer deliberately embraces the irregular and gives craft an abstract interpretation. Building a commercial brand with a unique esthetic that bridges the sensibilities of east and west has been the guiding design outline and our garments are versatile - fluid in shape, evolved in textiles and texture, and seen as essential to timeless wardrobes. Worn as separates or layered, each involves craftsmanship along with extensive development with traditional textile techniques. 36 POOL #83
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TYPOGRAPHY
Young Bangalore-based graphic artist/ designer, Prateek Vatash has eclectic interests, ranging from typography and geometry to the occult and retro-nostalgia, that find expression in his work
Letter illustrated for Avondale Type Co.
Do you believe in a formal design education? PV: Design education has shaped me to become the person I am today. I do believe that a lot of growth happens because of the effort one puts in themselves, but the environment they are in is equally important. My time at Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology (Bangalore), where I acquired a Professional Diploma in Visual Communication Design, gave me the space and platform to thrive, experiment and make mistakes; to know what works and what doesn’t. It helped me to discover myself, and showed me a way I could take forward. Formal education is of course just a part of the learning. I believe the learning never stops. Tell us about your current design practice. PV: My design practice has been rapidly evolving over the past few years, and is still growing into something. I always knew that there were certain elements, shapes, colors and topics that I was attracted to. These have stuck with me from 42 POOL #83
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JEWELRY
‘Aaraa by Avantika’ is jewelry and accessory designer Avantika Kumar Agrawal’s way of making a mark in a field dominated by traditional family-run businesses
From engineering to jewelry design – how did that come about? AA: My design journey has always been a very intuitive one at a subconscious level. As a teenager I used to plunder my mother’s sewing box and supplies, gather other small objects from home and make handmade jewelry and accessories, some of which I sold to small boutiques in Pune. I went on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, but by the time I was in my fourth year I had realized that my passion lay in something more creative and esthetically inspired. With quite a bit of persuasion from my father, and then boyfriend now-husband Dhruv, I went on to apply for my Post Graduation in Design from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad in 2008. This is how I entered the world of real design and worked towards understanding and discovering my passion towards it. While pursuing Lifestyle Accessory Design at NID, I never thought of specializing in jewelry design. During my second year I sent my entry for India International Jewelry Week 2010 (IIJW) and was selected. I designed a collection that presented jewelry in a new light altogether. I crocheted textile material to produce 48 POOL #83
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Mixed media on canvas
‘Painter and clothes-maker’ is how Payal Khandwala describes herself, and she has been much lauded for being both. Her eponymous fashion label features a dramatic recreation of her art through fabric.
How has your formal design education impacted your career? PK: After a Diploma in Fashion from SNDT in Mumbai, I went on to acquire a BFA from Parsons School of Design, New York. I think my training in fashion certainly helped; to know the technicalities of pattern cutting, draping, and finishing goes a long way. But I think my experience in Fine Arts informs my clothes-making even more. It makes me look at clothing with a very different prism; it gives me a whole
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Fitted Shirt with Silk Skirt
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Why is the present system of education becoming more and more chaotic and meaningless?
Excerpts from the book ‘Q&A on Education’, S Balaram’s meditative, minimalist, experimental art book that attempts to throw light on a weighty subject through simple questions and answers 62 POOL #83
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