Imran Qureshi

Site specific installation , Leakage

Pakistani artistImran Qureshi is Professor at the Department of Fine Arts, National College of Arts Lahore where he has been teaching Miniature painting and drawing since 1994. Qureshi re-interprets Mughal miniature motifs , creating patterns of illusion and shadow through repitition . Illustrated above is an installtion titled Leakage using an atypical lotus motif to resemble water. Images from here.

Alpa Mistry

Who likes things with colourful stripes? I know I do and I adore these knick-knacks from Alpa Mistry's textile based collection. Alpa Mistry, a woven textile designer based in London, produces exclusive accessories for fashion and bold interior artworks. Her work is defined by an imaginative, distinctive use of colour, balance and proportion of line.

Each piece is individually designed and hand-woven on a 24 shaft George Wood dobby loom. The colours are translated into hand-dyed silks and then finely woven in sateen and plain weaves, creating textile pieces with contrasts of sheer and solid fields of colour. Simple and serene to fun and quirky. Check out the wares at her website .

Nilofer & Shilo Suleman

A very talented illustrator , graphic designer and self-confessed purple grape eater named Shilo Shiv Suleman wrote to me sometime ago introducing me to her (also) very talented mother , Nilofer Suleman's work. Nilofer started off as a cartographer and tried on a whole lot of different hats on the way to becoming a professional artist(Lithographer, botanical illustrator & potter if you please). Shilo says her mum draws inspiration from the 'ammas',band-baaja- wallahs, astrologers, chai shops, the jhadoos, old hindi movies, truck art, temples and everything in between. To them it isn't 'exotica', it's merely the chai toast they grew up on.

Each painting (usually 5x 5 ft) tells a story ,anticipates an outcome and becomes and archetype.
Each character has a fixed personality but the plot is never static. There are twists and turns. There is love , lust and dilemmas to overcome. Check out more of Nilofer's work at her website .

These adorable illustrations belong to the younger Suleman. Shilo's blog is unlike anything else I've seen before. Take a look & you'll see what I mean. A complete mish mash of everything from free verse to the most sincere scribblings of voyages taken to far away places , to cute little DIY-esque animation shorts.

The Sulemans live and work in Bangalore.

Dr.Vivek M

I have taken AGES to put up this interview and I’m not too proud of my procrastination but I can assure you that, it is well justified. Even so, here it is - an interview with a man who is an alarmingly astute Photographer and intriguingly enough, a professional doctor as well. I was blown away by how powerful his images were. Each of them holds a narrative, a poignant story waiting to be told in a series of events captured in their one singular moment of existence. Without further ado – Dr.Vivek M .

scenes from an Indian circus

What was it really like, chucking your job as a surgical intern to become a freelance photographer?

It was a big decision, especially in India where being a doctor is to be almost revered by the society. I loved science in school but I enjoyed art classes during my summer vacations more. Although my family was reluctant to send me to an art school, they realised after I finished medicine that my real passion was for the creative arts. My elder brother Lokesh has always been supportive of my venture into the arts and he inspired me to keep my interest alive.

Was there a specific moment that inspired the change in career?

I was 27, married and almost gave up on pursing photography as a profession because of the odds of making a living out of it. But Lavannya, my wife and architect, unconditionally promised to support me when I followed my dreams. I think this was this strength that made me go ahead.

How does it personally affect you when you document the lives of other people?

It does affect you especially when you shoot marginalised communities. As a person you understand the hardships of their everyday life and it in turn reflects on things that you have always taken for granted. I prefer to be a freelance photographer because I don't want to simply 'work' on a documentary and get over it. I choose the subjects that I am interested in, that affect me, that move me and then photography happens naturally. And I truly hope that my photography serves up to some purpose, directly or indirectly.

Inmate at Hope Old age Home

Boy making kites in Gujarat

Have you ever made a personal connection with any of the people that you photograph?

My photography is always preceded by a sincere attempt to connect to the subjects involved. Gaining their trust is the most important thing, I feel. Once a bonding is formed and a trust is established, photography is a mere ritual. During a course of a documentary I always make plenty of friends.

What are the other ways in your opinion for artists to get involved with humanitarian causes ?

Artists could make a huge difference in brings issues to the forefront. All they have to do is to spend a little of their time and creativity to become a voice for the less fortunate.

What do you do for fun?

Well, when I am not doing assignments I go on treks in the Western Ghats, read books or plan my next travel.

Worker chiseling stone at Quarry,Rampura

Self portrait at coffee house,Bangalore

What are your greatest influences & how do they influence what you do?

I have been influenced by different photographers at different points in time. I am a great fan of Raghu Rai and Raghubir Singh's work. Every time I look at their work I feel inspired to pick up the camera and go shooting! Raghubir Singh's book, A way into India permanently occupies my coffee table.

Whats a day in the life of Vivek M like?

Each day is different. If I am not travelling or editing pictures, I am researching my next story. But many days in the month are spent lazing around, reading and concocting impractical projects.

Inmate at Hope - Old age home

little girl at Uyyamballi

Do you have any words of wisdom for others who wish to get into photography?

Photography is many a media rolled into one. It has immense possibilities and potential. If you think you are really passionate about it, don't give it a second thought.

What are your future plans?

I don't think too much into the future. Right now I am preparing for a group exhibition opening in the city and working on another one this November, both supported by the Goethe Institute. But I truly want to get back into following my personal projects which I haven't done in a while.

Visit Dr.Vivek M's flickr page & website for more.

Champa

There are a couple of things that drew me to artist Champa Mohan's pieces , one of them being the neon colours typical to 'street art' (usually political posters) found in India . (It's also interesting to note that the subject of her prints are the characters of the Ramayana.) The other being the patterns she incorporates into her prints , which is a woodcut tradition. The first image has the kolam on it and I'm surprised that contemporary graphic designers have more or less over looked the very cool , complex , symmetrical quality of kolams. Except maybe Tukral & Tagra. Those are some cool artists. Images from here

Ghulam Sakina

Liaqat Rusul , a fashion designer of Pakistani descent established Ghulam Sakina in 1999, having discovered a wealth of resources, inspiration and skills while working in India. Now based in both London and New Delhi, the label marries innovation and craft from both cultures. While his SS collections are pretty in a fleeting way , his AW collections are treasure troves of subtle detailing. I am feeling the brick reds and slate grays on the palette. More at his website. Via Fly.

Ravikumar Kashi

Ravikumar Kashi was born in Bangalore in 1968. He completed his M.F.A. in Printmaking from Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University of Baroda in 1990. In 2001 he studied handmade papermaking under J. Parry at the Papermaking Resource, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow. The sculpture “Books” is a set of 30 books cast in paper pulp with text and images. “Painting has a different language. The medium of paper is personal and it allows you freedom. You also associate paper with writing which is why I chose to do paper sculptures,” says Kashi. Images from here.

Yasmin Sethi

Yasmin Sethi is a product designer from Delhi. She has just graduated from Central St. Martins , London . I was quite intrigued by her ideas , my favourite being the mail-a-plant. I also love the fact that most of her products are eco friendly.

Mail-a-plant was designed in response to a brief about sending a gift through the mail. On opening, the letter folds into a small plant holder containing a porous seed envelope. The daily watering of the plant prolongs the connection between the sender and recipient.The folding is inspired by origami folding.

Both these lamps are made of recycled material. The first lamp is made out of a single piece of moulded paper rope. It is completely biodegradable. The second lamp is made out of shredded office reports woven at the base through a wire frame. The irregular and random arrangement of the shredded paper produces interesting visual effects. The string lamp was feature in Elle Decor , India.

A Chess Set inspired by the novel 'Alice through the Looking Glass' where the pieces magically turn transparent when they touch the board. For more of her brilliant work , visit her website and read about her ideas in detail.

Sangeeta Sandrasegar

Sangeeta Sandrasegar was born in Brisbane of Malaysian and Australian parents and has lived for most of her life in Melbourne.In exquisite wall-based cut-outs, which are often adorned with glitter and throw fantastical shadows, Sandrasegar revels in combining florid and erotic tales. Her sources are as diverse as traditional Indian miniatures, Japanese anime and contemporary political narratives. More here & here.

Sharmi Chowdhury

Baroda based Sharmi Chowdhury's works are painterly narratives questioning the role of gender in society. She creates a fantasy world where animals play out human roles often signifying the feminine. Filled with humour and drama in bursts of bright pink , they also mirror a graver truth in the use of sombre grays. To quote Sharmi , "Everybody has an equal share in my inexplicable allegories." Images from here.

Apnavi Thacker

Born in Mumbai, India and brought up in Geneva, Switzerland, Apnavi Thacker grew up benefiting from two very different cultures. Apnavi is a self-taught artist, although she gained valuable knowledge and experience during her two years of training under the guidance of Bose Krishnamachari.Her work addresses such issues as the possible link between a woman and her self-confidence and level of comfort with her sexuality, and the impact of urban development on the environment. Her work retains a focus on street art. Images and text from here.

Jatin Kampani

Some stunning captures from lawyer turned ace photographer Jatin Kampani . This Mumbai based lensman's work is consistently interesting , unique and most importantly stylish. Go to his website for more.

Ayush Rajvanshi

Some pages out of Bangalore based Ayush Rajvanshi's 'brown book' . Ayush studied Animation film design at NID. He is presently based in Delhi and working as a set designer for Gali Gali Sim Sim ,the Indian version of Seame street . Check out more of his illustrations on his stellar blog .