Shades.

Pencil on Paper

 As they got lost into their thoughts so pure, their true colors started to emerge.

Oil pastels on paper

The safest place to be!

Contr-a-diction.

It's been a long time since I posted something! So, here I am, back with a post about a project that I took up during my post-graduation. Two good years since then and now, I am sharing it! Well, maybe because the whole idea intrigues me, still. :)

The theme of the project was the emotion of "Contradiction", which was derived from a research done on the space of pedestrian subways and later, taken ahead to be further developed into a tangible product.

Here are some points to give you a gist of the research paper. 

“Pedestrian Subway- A Questionable Space”

• Pedestrian subways were incorporated in the 1960’s by the traffic management to stop people from crossing at road level, valuing motorists’ time more than safety of women and the convenience of elderly and laden pedestrians [Loucaitou- Sideris, Anastasia.2009].
• Research showed that people, especially women were and still are comparatively more fearful in using subways because of numerous reasons like it's closed and dark, stays empty, is an underground space, the environment is crime inviting [Reiter, Zoe.2006].
• Hence, even if the actual crime rate is not high in subways, there is fear due to likeliness of occurrence of crime [Loucaitou- Sideris, Anastasia and Fink Camille.2008].

The aim of the research was to prove a hypothesis, which in my case was that pedestrian subways, which were built in order to facilitate road crossing i.e. curbing fear; actually became a reason for fear in people’s mind. This led to picking up the attribute of "contradictory nature" of subways. 

The essence of contradiction present in emotions, materials, functionality, gave rise to the idea of developing a product which would give a similar sense of contradiction.

·     

Mood board on the theme Contradiction.

Then followed the idea churning for the tangible products. After all the brainstorming, the selection and dismissal process, the final product was a complex having a theme based restaurant, hukkah lounge and coffee house - all three in the same space, making it an experiential design inspired from a subway.

Here are some snapshots of the complex made on 3Ds Max:

Top view of the complex.

Hukkah lounge - Theme rock 

Theme of rebellion 

Restaurant on theme Sufi.

Feeling of space, soothing Sufi music, openness. 

Coffee house on theme Fusion.

Soft interiors, music, low seating.

The transition from one space i.e. from the subway like entrance (closed and uncomfortable) to a Sufi restaurant (serene) to a hukkah lounge (rebellion) to Fusion cafe (love and tenderness) makes the user experience contradictory feelings because of the different ambiance offered by the spaces. 

I also came up with a model of the final product using various materials like sun-board, thermocol sheet etc. Take a sneak peek.

Top view of model

Graffiti in the transitory space

Ways leading to entrance of the Restaurant, lounge and cafe

Graffiti and cobbled pavement

Hukkah lounge

Sufi restaurant

Fusion cafe

 Thus, with the combination of different themes/ materials/ music/ interiors/ ambiance and hence, feelings that vary with the space, I have tried to incorporate the attribute of contradiction within the complex altogether. 

That way you look at it!

Like a billion stars twinkling in a dusky sky enveloping

 the crescent of the moon

the water trickled down the glass, one rainy evening

reminding me that it's just about perspective.

Sometimes you see the twinkle,

sometimes, the trickle

The Beauty of Yearning!

The Desire.

With a desire in my heart to touch the sky,

to taste that feeling of soaring high,

I took a long leap.. 

encountering a new stance 

Since then, the mystic has had its own way 

to lend me a hand..

:)

The Water Bearer.

I asked her for a drop of water

when she showered rains upon me.
A wish sprouted inside of me,
She had incepted a dream
 the dream to be like her..

That's how she lit my path

She, the water bearer..

When we wove the newspaper..

Seeing all the junk newspapers stacked up in our flat, me and my roomie (a batch mate from NIFT) thought it would be cool to make them into something useful (inspired by our Sustainable Systems module..). We had a few evenings (two to be precise.. let us just ignore the number of hours, though :P) to spare and more than a hundred newspaper sheets rolled out into warps and wefts, some references, bit of brainstorming and need (which is the mother of "invention" :P :P).

The warps & wefts

In process..

And here's our first ever crafted piece of furniture..

End product!!! :D

Our own paper table.

"Pop" it up !

 The process of "beating" has been followed strictly while weaving, but, time and usage would be the real judge, I guess. But, we are lovin' it. :D
P.S.: More crafted pieces to be followed! Till then, RE-(duce, use, cycle, new, cover and spect!) :)

Oil-not-on-canvas.

Hello all!

This post is about two of my recent paintings..oil paintings..Here's a sneak-peek into the work.

This one's oil on three separate pieces of ply, a remake but painted with a lot of enthusiasm. :)

Tree of Life

This one's a creation using oil and ceramic on butter paper.

To me the "Tree of life" symbolises growth, renewal and the balance and harmony, the interconnectedness of all things living, in the nature. 

P.S.: The base materials have been reused in making these paintings. Let's all reuse creatively, renewing creativity! :)

Getting the basics right.

When most of the nation rejoices the "victory" of the Nirbhaya case, I, an ordinary Indian girl, ponder upon whether I would ever be able to witness a day when I would walk out of my house, without the slightest hint of fear of being mistreated; mistreated 'cause I am a female. That raises a much needed question, "what is understood by the word mistreatment"?

Having been living in this particular city since the past six years and in the society since twenty-four years, I keep experiencing mistreatment in the form of eve-teasing. And like any other girl coming from a small town (or not) who lives away from home, I keep getting my share of family's and friends' advice on to dos and not to dos. Say, I follow it all..do everything as told..take every precaution I am expected to; and I should call myself fortunate that it's all paying off... Or is it really?

We are cautioned about the ghastly mishaps which happen around us, that have been "getting into notice lately and hence, multiplying" at a manifold pace, that we do not even care to pay heed to its roots. A cheesy comment while we are walking on the road is ignored rather casually, forget about reacting to the fact that we are being stared at. We all feel that these are such usual, harmless happenings that neither do we have the time, nor the energy or will, to confront a man who can't stop looking at a female. We easily ignore it or murmur a few abuses and let go; till the time he is really intimidating.. In that case, we say something in return, getting to hear a cheesier comment in reply and ultimately, walking off, with a feeling of remorse as to why did we think we could shut a man like that up or shed him some sense.

I would be a complete fool if I'd expect people to come down to the streets because some guy could not stop himself from passing a comment to a girl who was looking beautiful dressed in a salwar-suit, which by the way, covered her up completely, leaving her much provoking face and arms exposed, unfortunately..! I completely understand that. Common behaviour clearly shows commenting and being stared at are harmless. It's "just" a few moments' business, but if you react to it, it might become too big to handle. So, we avoid reacting to a situation like this, rather than giving it off to that man there and then or reporting about him immediately (of course, we are aware that reporting would be a vain attempt). So, we don't. Who would and more importantly, why would anyone take it seriously? It's not causing any physical harm after all. But, what about that feeling of discomfort that we go through during those "few seconds" every time an unwanted man keeps looking at us, although without uttering a single word, but a look that is offensive, for starters? And what about the feeling of humiliation that is filled within us every time we have to stoop several levels down to confront a man who passes a comment on us, which ultimately goes futile. WHY? Why should we tolerate any of it..every single day and not just once, irrespective of what we wear?  

Is it just the appalling acts like rape, acid attacks, sexual assaults, molestation, stalking etc. which "qualify" as mistreatment? Breaching into someone's personal space by doing "nothing", but just a very simple, absolutely common thing like staring or, in other words, "checking a girl out", actually amounts to nothing? Have you ever wondered that this "nothing" could be the beginning of it all?

Think about it.