Archana Prasad — “Bangalore is my muse.”
Archana is an artist and founder of the iconic Jaaga.in. Her work is a conjunction of visual art, technology and urban community art, steeped in design and research methodologies. She has a unique artist-activist role. We asked her about her work, Indian design and her love for Bangalore.
What kinds of different hats have you had to put on while working in a designer’s shoes? Which such role/project was most challenging?
Architect, cleaner, speaker, researcher, facilitator, assistant, poet, craftsperson, business person, strategic thinker, dreamer, animator, creator, administrator, accountant, volunteer, founder… Jaaga, in all of its avatars, was and is the most challenging and engaging journey I’ve been on.
What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt from someone who is not a design practitioner?
Stretch. Relax. Breathe. Focus. — from my yoga teacher Sangeetha Jairam.
What would you say is the defining characteristic of “Indian” design?
I find great Indian design defined by its ability to be intrinsically iterative. It is constantly able to evolve, change and respond with people to the times. At one end it is exquisite and crafted with uncompromising depth and detail, on the other, it combines, mashes up, borrows, steals and makes. It is intrinsically a juggernaut.
Do you think there is a modern visual language that is specific to India?
Yes. It’s bold. It’s vibrant. It’s textured and it’s steeped in its past while being able to look far ahead into its future. It is certainly not however the exotic India-thematic.
What can a student/fresh graduate and an experienced professional learn from each other in the design industry?
Of course students bring a youthful energy and vigour to the project at hand. They also bring in new ways of thinking and solving. They are not jaded, skeptical or cynical. For the experienced professional this is great news. Students hold up a mirror to who you really are and what your work can really do. Experience brings maturity and learnings that are deeply embedded in markets, publics and reality. From humanity. Of consequences. Of potential to impact. The coming together of these two pools of inspiration can lead to some fantastic outcomes.
Do creative professionals have pet peeves? What is yours?
My pet peeve — I cannot function unless my immediate environment is in order. Tidy and clean. Organised and aesthetically pleasing to me. If there is clutter, my mind feels too taxed and cannot function in a creative capacity. This is also true of audio clutter. Nothing kills my energy as a space filled with white noise or loud, layered noise.
How has being in Bangalore enriched your creative process? What have you learnt from the city?
Bangalore is my muse. I have a deep love and connect to this city. It carries my past and my future. The present is conflicted, cluttered, unplanned, disorganised, breaking at its seams. I want to help fix it. I want her to have and cherish her memories- know who she is, share her stories with the new and the old. I have learnt that even in times of extreme stress, even when it feels like nobody cares, we can rise and fight back. Bangalore constantly does, she doesn’t give up.
And finally, to wrap up — How do you spend a perfect Sunday in Bangalore? Any recommendations or must-trys?
Sundays are lovely. We start the day slow. We usually go to my son’s soccer practice. A visit to MTR is a must. Family (my sister’s and my parents) lunch, board games, jostle with my niece and nephew. Wind down to a campfire evening. Get to Cubbon park on Sundays — it’s perfectly lovely. Explore nearby places, as a getaway from the city — Soma Vineyard, Galibore Nature Camp, Rare Earth Farms…
Follow Archana on Instagram and Twitter at @arcnoid
Website: http://www.archanaprasad.com/
https://www.jaaga.in/
This interview is a part of a series of conversations with designers from Bengaluru called ADI Diaries. You can find more interviews here.
Participate in Bengaluru Design Week at http://www.blrdesignweek.com/
