Innovative designers in Bangalore There are limitless possibilities to design innovations. And Bangalore’s creative lot of designers find inspiration in myriad things like traditions and beliefs to textiles, trees and discarded materials. MetroMela profiles four designers across Bangalore who believe in doing stuff that’s different from run of the mill. Read on...
Aarohi Singh, artist
Bright, kitschy and very original, Aarohi Singh's designs come with a huge element of fun. Be it the brightly painted Nazar  Battoo kettle (on the concept of the evil eye) or the cheerful and functional Khiladi table that also doubles up as a carom board and a pool table, there are elements of surprise and stories attached to all her work. “I’ve been painting for 18 odd years now,” says this mother of two, who had her first exhibition at Delhi’s prestigious Triveni Kala Sangam. “I got a positive response and that was the push I needed,” she says, adding that even though she worked as an Information Architect in the software industry, she continued painting and sometimes even selling her work. Aarohi moved to Bangalore after marriage and started painting furniture and other household objects when she realized that with two kids at home, she barely had the time to do a canvas. “I didn’t have enough unbroken time and oils also take a longer time to dry.” She painted her first kettle purely on instinct and has never stopped since then, adding bright strokes of color to dabbas, buckets, plates, mugs and of course furniture. Everything that this vibrant lady does is a reaction to the world around her, be it her tryst with the autowalas or her take on being a Sardarni (she has a kettle called Singh is King). The other distinct feature of her work? Its rich and joyous colors. “I don’t think in monochrome,” says Aarohi, who is influenced by the colors and richness of Rajasthan, where her father, an Indian Air Force officer, was posted. She also works with acrylic, oils and other media and at the moment, is doing a series on pen and ink and watercolors. Having exhibited at places in Bangalore like Levitate, Cha Bar at Leela Galleria and Sattva Art Gallery in Whitefield, Aarohi has also taken her art for showings in Delhi and Kolkata. She also works on commission basis if asked to and as usual, bases her art around stories or the memories that the family associates with the piece she is painting. That sure, is art straight from the heart.
Dakshayini Gowda, jewelry designer, museologist, archaeologist
 It’s hard to label Dakshayini as just an artist. She’s a trained archaeologist who introduces rural children to history by setting up museum like displays of Indus Valley civilization in their schools. But what makes her interesting as an artist are the earrings she makes out of Banarasi sarees. “To me Banarasi sarees are like jewelry. They are quite ornamental and have gold threads, traditional motifs etc. I feel every corner of the saree is precious and got the idea to use bits of these to make earrings,” says Dakshayini. Interestingly, she works with village women to get her designs executed. “I come to the villages in Bangalore outskirts and give the women the design. We have a place where the women come and get trained. Most of these women haven’t been exposed to anything like this and usually spend all their time at home cooking. So it’s an opportunity for them to also explore their skills,” says this young designer who feels some of the best art and craft works can be found in villages. She calls her organization Sanchali and says the jewelry is part of Sanchali’s empowerment program for rural women, which trains them in skills to give them a sustained livelihood. You can find her eye-catching jewelry in the store Marmalade and at White Mantra Spa in Bangalore.
Jagadish C, recycled art
Twenty nine year old Jagadish C works at Design Core, a design firm where he makes models for exhibition design. He  also transforms into a designer who works with recycled and waste materials to create beautiful things. His products range from coasters, belts and hanging mobiles created out of newspapers and magazine cuttings, leaf sculptures, ashtrays and pen stands made out of coconut husk, etc. Retailed at upscale decor stores like Cinnamon in Bangalore, Jagadish says he works with newspapers, areca nut leaves, bamboo, coconut husk and basically anything that can be recycled. He credits his success to his bosses at work, who understood and appreciated his talent and gave him the credit and space to innovate. A one year course (alongside his regular work) at Chitrakala Parishath in Bangalore helped him to hone his talent further. He travels to the outskirts of Bangalore every weekend to collect the raw materials for his work.
Creativity comes in myriad packages, isn’t it?
By Reshmi Chakraborty
There are limitless possibilities to design innovations. And Bangalore’s creative lot of designers find inspiration in myriad things like traditions and beliefs to textiles, trees and discarded materials. MetroMela profiles four designers across Bangalore who believe in doing stuff that’s different from run of the mill. Read on...
Aarohi Singh, artist
Bright, kitschy and very original, Aarohi Singh's designs come with a huge element of fun. Be it the brightly painted Nazar Battoo kettle (on the concept of the evil eye) or the cheerful and functional Khiladi table that also doubles up as a carom board and a pool table, there are elements of surprise and stories attached to all her work. “I’ve been painting for 18 odd years now,” says this mother of two, who had her first exhibition at Delhi’s prestigious Triveni Kala Sangam. “I got a positive response and that was the push I needed,” she says, adding that even though she worked as an Information Architect in the software industry, she continued painting and sometimes even selling her work. Aarohi moved to Bangalore after marriage and started painting furniture and other household objects when she realized that with two kids at home, she barely had the time to do a canvas. “I didn’t have enough unbroken time and oils also take a longer time to dry.” She painted her first kettle purely on instinct and has never stopped since then, adding bright strokes of color to dabbas, buckets, plates, mugs and of course furniture. Everything that this vibrant lady does is a reaction to the world around her, be it her tryst with the autowalas or her take on being a Sardarni (she has a kettle called Singh is King). The other distinct feature of her work? Its rich and joyous colors. “I don’t think in monochrome,” says Aarohi, who is influenced by the colors and richness of Rajasthan, where her father, an Indian Air Force officer, was posted. She also works with acrylic, oils and other media and at the moment, is doing a series on pen and ink and watercolors. Having exhibited at places in Bangalore like Levitate, Cha Bar at Leela Galleria and Sattva Art Gallery in Whitefield, Aarohi has also taken her art for showings in Delhi and Kolkata. She also works on commission basis if asked to and as usual, bases her art around stories or the memories that the family associates with the piece she is painting. That sure, is art straight from the heart.
Dakshayini Gowda, jewelry designer, museologist, archaeologist
It’s hard to label Dakshayini as just an artist. She’s a trained archaeologist who introduces rural children to history by setting up museum like displays of Indus Valley civilization in their schools. But what makes her interesting as an artist are the earrings she makes out of Banarasi sarees. “To me Banarasi sarees are like jewelry. They are quite ornamental and have gold threads, traditional motifs etc. I feel every corner of the saree is precious and got the idea to use bits of these to make earrings,” says Dakshayini. Interestingly, she works with village women to get her designs executed. “I come to the villages in Bangalore outskirts and give the women the design. We have a place where the women come and get trained. Most of these women haven’t been exposed to anything like this and usually spend all their time at home cooking. So it’s an opportunity for them to also explore their skills,” says this young designer who feels some of the best art and craft works can be found in villages. She calls her organization Sanchali and says the jewelry is part of Sanchali’s empowerment program for rural women, which trains them in skills to give them a sustained livelihood. You can find her eye-catching jewelry in the store Marmalade and at White Mantra Spa in Bangalore.
Jagadish C, recycled art
Twenty nine year old Jagadish C works at Design Core, a design firm where he makes models for exhibition design. He also transforms into a designer who works with recycled and waste materials to create beautiful things. His products range from coasters, belts and hanging mobiles created out of newspapers and magazine cuttings, leaf sculptures, ashtrays and pen stands made out of coconut husk, etc. Retailed at upscale decor stores like Cinnamon in Bangalore, Jagadish says he works with newspapers, areca nut leaves, bamboo, coconut husk and basically anything that can be recycled. He credits his success to his bosses at work, who understood and appreciated his talent and gave him the credit and space to innovate. A one year course (alongside his regular work) at Chitrakala Parishath in Bangalore helped him to hone his talent further. He travels to the outskirts of Bangalore every weekend to collect the raw materials for his work.
Creativity comes in myriad packages, isn’t it?
By Reshmi Chakraborty
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