Drashta

I've been a fan of designer Drashta Sarvaiya's since her SS '08 collection showed last year & she continues to hold my attention with her AW '08 line. Gorgeous , Gorgeous palette. Images from here.

Anju Dodiya

I'm quite taken by Anju Dodiya's latest mixed media print series titled All Night I Shall Gallop . The prints are dotted with Victorian imagery and Plathian verse that reflect Dodiya's own artistic macabre, although it's the awkward humour that reels me in. The artist lives and works in Mumbai. Images from here.

Milan

Afore mentioned Screen Printing Goddess Kate Banazi's little son Milan has set up shop . Mr.Milan is all of 11 & plans to donate a percentage of his sales to a Charity of his choice. Go buy his very cool prints here.

Sumitro Basak

In a series inspired by paper cut outs and children's art work , Sumitro Basak creates an ambigous world filled with amorphous people . The exhibition titled On the Verge is on display at the CIMA Gallery in Kolkata till April 8th.

SooSixty - Inktales

This is a truly adorable blog that I've been reading for the past hour or so. Cute.

Maya Burman

Click for details

Maya Burman is a contemporary artist of Indian parentage living in France.She works mainly with pen and ink, and watercolor; her paintings are delicate and usually have a strong fantasy element. The striking thing about her paintings is the amount of detail in them. In formal terms Maya Burman's paintings have a tapestry like effect where everything is subordinate to patterning, reminiscent of the French art nouveau tradition. Images from here.

Archan Nair

Delhi based Archan Nair is a 25 year old Digital Artist, Illustrator and Art director with an intense passion for the Arts. He has exhibited at the Behance Exhibition at New York and been featured in Advanced Photoshop Magazine 2008. Amongst other things , Archan is currently working with fashion designer J.J.Vallaya . He was featured before here. Check out his new pieces here.

Vicky Roy

Deepak rests after sustaining an injury to his right cheek

Nandu enjoys the newspaper before he sells it

Children at a shelter run by the Salaam Balak Trust

Vicky Roy's story is a little different from that of his contemporaries. He ran away from his impoverished home in West Bengal as an 11 year old and came to New Delhi with dreams in his head and nothing more. After roughing it out on the streets of Delhi he was taken in by Salaam Balak Trust (SBT) & from there he went on to working as an apprentice with a photographer. "Street Dreams" is the story of children like him , who struggle to make a living on the streets of India. Read more here.

Design Temple

"Design Temple, the award-winning, multi-disciplinary graphic design studio makes its foray into retail with simple utilitarian products for aesthetes across the world.Their experience in designing for global audiences and intrinsic indian influences presents a collection that draws from the immense depth and parlance of Indian culture.

This hand-grabbing toilet paper is inspired by the evil king Duryodhana who ordered Cheerharan or stripping of the saree, in a famous Indian epic from the 4th century B.C. That saree never came to an end, this toilet paper unfortunately will"

Thank You

I'm just going to take a tiny little moment on the soapbox. It's the 100th post over here on MASALA CHAI & I want to thank each of you who took the time out to browse and comment and send in appreciative emails. I'd also like to thank the artists & designers who've so sweetly indulged me & my little blog. ;) Thank you !

& a quick thanks to the lovely ladies at Nirali Magazine for the mention. Thanks girls !

Collage of Dastkari Haat that didn't get posted.Click for better view.

Prashant Miranda

The watercolour poet Prashant Miranda is back on Indian soil and will be exhibiting his works in Goa in mid April. Stay tuned for that but in the meantime, visit his blog and take a gander at the colourful pages of his life.

Anek Taanka

Anek Taanka by Varsha Sharma is a textile design line that retails products like Cushions, Curtains , Bed-sets & other soft furnishings . If you are not quite interested in her domestic ware , check out her textile art. Very cool. She retails at Conran & Yamini in India.

Shilpa Chavan

I happened to come across the fabulous stylist & designer Shilpa Chavan's latest exhibit titled Mumbadevi while flipping through a magazine. Fashioned from everyday objects found in Mumbai, the collection was inspired by rubber slippers, plastic toys,'matching centres', general provisions stores & paper cones among other everyday staples.