Meet & Greet

[Rashmi]

Hello. This is Rashmi Ghosh, a Visual artist based in Pune, Maharashtra. I am engaged in building a body of works on the Stepwells of India and I am trying to correlate and corroborate these ideas in this workshop with my research on the Art, Architecture and Design of those vanishing stepwells for which we have less documented records. Thank you MAP for bringing such ineresting discussions and forums for us.

[Krishna]

Hi Rashmi, thank you sharing your research interests with us. We’re delighted to have you here!

[Divya]

Hello, my name is Divya N and I am a designer and design educator from Chennai. For the last decade, I have been teaching at the NIFT in the department of Fashion communication. I am currently pursuing my PhD in Picture jewellery – a lesser know category of Indian jewellery that bridges my areas of interest – narratives and jewellery. I hope that this course will shape my understanding of art and craft in postcolonial India.

[Krishna]

Hello Divya, welcome onboard! We hope you found the lectures insightful and engaging. Please feel free to share your thoughts and feedback with us here.

[Akash Srinivas]

Hello all!! I am Akash. I’m from Bangalore, and I currently work as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Archaeological Research, Ashoka University. I am a prehistoric archaeologist who works on stone tools, and how we can reconstruct ancient human behaviour from studying these stone tools. I also co-host a podcast (Chippin’ Away), discussing various aspects of South Asia’s past, its history, archaeology, and anthropology and trying to integrate it with the broader, global discourse of our past. We recently finished a series on the History of Medicine (supported by the India Foundation for the Arts). We cover many themes and topics, including some related to art and art history. So do check it out on any streaming platform if you are interested!!
Looking forward to the fun sessions scheduled, as well as getting to know all of you! 🙂

[Krishna]

Hi Akash, thank you for sharing your work with us and welcome to our learning community!

[KARISHMA]

• Hi Sara and everyone! I’m Karishma from Mumbai, I have a deep thirst for knowledge and have always been intrigued by anything ancient be it civilizations, art history, craft, sculpture .. and so on.. I am not currently working anywhere nor have I studied history as a main subject – I am here to listen and learn- I have done my textile designing course from Sophia and am a budding artist! I love ancient history passionately and that is the reason I am here. It’s a combination of Craft, art and history! Looking forward to the upcoming sessions!

[Krishna]

Hello Karishma, it’s delightful to hear about your interest in the arts. Thank you for choosing our course. Hope you found the lectures insightful and engaging.

[BILAL]

I am Bilal Majid from Kashmir. I have done a Masters in History from Pondicherry University. I am interested in Nineteenth-century photography and other visual practices in the eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries.

[Anshuka]

Hi ! I’m Anshuka Mahapatra, a visual arts practitioner. With a BFA in Art Education from Jamia Millia Islamia and an MFA in Printmaking from the University of Hyderabad, I bring a diverse background to my craft. My artwork delves into the intersection of the digital realm, societal norms, and personal identity, encouraging viewers to reconsider their perceptions. As a printmaker, I’m particularly drawn to craftsmanship and the beauty of repetition.

I’m thrilled to be part of this course and look forward to expanding my knowledge further..

[Susan]

Hi Everyone!

I’m Susan, an industrial designer and professor orginally from San Francisco, now residing in South Goa. I’ve been living and working in India for over six years, and I consider it home. My most recent project explores the world around us through a cross-cultural lens, featuring the things that generally go unnoticed, everyday objects and behaviors that are the result of local aesthetics, behaviors, and needs. I’m an oldie… with over twenty years of teaching in higher education, I still hope to inspire future designers and makers to create positive social impact through their work. I’m super happy to be here, the first two lectures have been wonderful and I look foward to seeing how this course unfolds!

Thank you.

[Subbadra]

Hi there!

I’m Subbadra, I identify as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) having been raised across 6 countries in 5 continents which makes me a pretty adaptable person, open-minded and curious about culture, the arts, history, stories and food! (But not always necessarily in that order haha) This upbringing and my varied interests are what led me to choosing a design education, which I thought would help me see and make sense of my world in a critical but visual way with the added flexibility of a broad creative skillset. After getting a degree in Environmental Design (a broad course covering Architecture, Urban Planning and Interior Design), I spent some time dabbling in a couple other fields outside of the immediate design industry upon graduation and returned to Delhi just before the pandemic started!

What started only as a hobby interest in the world of textiles has led me to take little steps into and learning informally about the vast length and breadth of the Indian craft sector, its historical influence globally and what I think is its necessity today. I’m so grateful to be learning together with all of you and a big thank you to MAP Academy and Dr. Garimella for putting together this incredibly valuable course!

[Gaurav]

Hello everyone,

My name is Gaurav Shorey and I am an architect by qualification.
I work in the domain of sustainability, sustainable habitats, Low-carbon pathways, systems thinking, critical thinking, and the connection between geography, local culture and sustainability.

I run a consultancy company called Psi Energy Pvt. Ltd., a non-profit called Swaraj – in which we work on five basic elements of culture that we have seen altering with hyper local (micro) climate and soil – dialects, diets, dresses, dwellings, and dances & songs. We work with schools, universities, and anganwadis on reconnecting children to the knowledge of their local ancestors, starting with their parents and grandparents.

I also teach at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.

I live in New Delhi, am married to Deepanjali who is a practicing architect and runs her own practice, and am a proud father to a young ten-year old lady – Yogini. we live with our parents.

It is a privilege to be with you all and read about all that you do, and also an absolute delight to learn from Dr. Garimella. I have also signed up for another course on MAP Academy and look forward to learning from you all.

[Zohreen]

Hello everyone,

My name is Zohreen Murtaza. I teach at the Cultural Studies Department at the National College of Arts, Lahore in Pakistan. I have a BFA in Miniature Painting and and MA in Visual art also from NCA. I also write reviews, academic essays, columns on contemporary Pakistani art which are available online. I became interested in this course because I have been teaching courses on South Asia and NCA has a colonial history: it was formerly an Industrial design school, also known as The Mayo School of Art. I was curious about how debates around design, drawing and craft in this era (1800s-1900s) are debated outside Pakistan, what can one learn about Industrial design schools in India, their pedagogy etc, who to look at in terms of contemporary researchers looking at this time period, what resources are available for understanding this part of history and how one can connect this history with the present..

[Geethu Merin]

Hello,

I am Geethu Merin Antony from Kerala. I am a fashion designer who is keen on crafts, especially Indian crafts.
I am also an academician. I am looking forward to widening my knowledge
in crafts and networking with like-minded people.

[Sananda]

Hello everyone, I am Sananda and I am from Mumbai, India. I work as an arts based educator and theatre maker. I am currently the curator for a developing project at the American School of Bombay titled ‘India Sanskriti Center’. At this moment in time I am thinking of Indian textile very deeply as I am embarking on a year long inquiry into textile traditions in India. This course work is allowing me to grapple with the subject and find new connections with my preexisting understating of the subject. I look forward to co-learning with you all.

[Gaurav]

Here’s what I have discovered since the last few lectures.

One carved Bombay Blackwood cabinet in my Bua’s home.

Two 100-year-old carved ivory pieces with very intricate work.

And lots of different textiles, particularly Saris, in various conditions of ‘disappearance into oblivion’.

We will now start cataloguing my Daadi’s antiques, which, by virtue of her family legacy, are likely to be quite a treasure trove.
Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this – suddenly things that have been right in front of us have new value.

[Anushka]

Hey there everyone! My name is Anushka from the never sleeping city of Mumbai. I am a writer and an occasional painter. Having secured a certificate in Art Curation from a museum, my interests vary and is vast in nature. However my curiosity to learn more and stay current with research ever ends. With a background in various fields of creativity, I am here to understand all of what this course explores and to absorb anything and all I can.

[Dr Neha]

I am Dr Neha Mulchandani and currently Assistant Professor in Department of Textile and Fashion Technology, Nirmala Niketan affiliated to University of Mumbai. I am always fascinated with the traditional crafts which are reflective of culture and our roots.