Hello Hello

I'm just about to take a week's vacation but wanted to leave you guys a little note to say hi and to thank you for loving MASALA CHAI so much and for spreading the word . Much appreciated!

MC also has a lovely new banner designed by the talented Sameer Kulavoor , as a gesture of appreciation . It feels wonderful to be noticed and supported by artists and designers like him. Thank you!

And if you haven't already , do update your bookmarks to www.masalachaionline.com .

I'd love to hear comments and suggestions from you guys about how I can make MASALA CHAI better.

Thanks once again & have a wonderful week ahead!


EDIT: I have since rearranged things on the site a bit. I've added little things , gotten rid of some of the clutter that was driving me nuts and worked in more customization with my painfully limited knowledge of "coding". I have also reverted back to my old logo for the time being.

Here is an image of the banner and email button Sameer made for MASALA CHAI for the ones who missed it:

Rahul Khanna & Rohit Gandhi

Absolute lust/love for Rahul Khanna and Rohit Gandhi's latest from their label Cue for the Chivas Fashion Tour. Images from here.

Shanti Panchal

Loved the intensity of colours in these exquisite watercolour paintings by London based artist Shanti Panchal . Panchal's works reflect his present day observations of life in London but not without a touch of nostalgia from his formative years in Gujarat , often interpreted through the use of earthy and vibrant tones. Panchal seeks spiritual visions and values through his work and describes the process of painting as" so ecstatic and at the same time so suicidal.". More here. (Thanks Vishal !)

Meera Sethi

Stumbled onto Canadian born Meera Sethi's blog and her graphic patterns really caught my eye. Sethi runs misc. , a multidisciplinary design studio specializing in digital and print communications that create positive change. Balancing aesthetic freshness with a commitment to clarity, misc. designs reflect the energy and imagination demanded by many of its core clients: not-for-profit, social justice, and arts and culture organizations serving Toronto’s dynamic communities. More at her blog .

Stylkist

With the festive season just 'round the corner , Stylkist's new festive collection seems like a nice fit for the contemporary Indian entertainer. They have sleek , luxe products with it's own unique take on 'Indian' design.
Stylkist was co-founded by a few friends who met at INSEAD business school. The venture is headed and managed by Maya Hari. Maya has consulted with premium design brands in the UK and in India. She co-founded and ran an art and photography marketing company in San Francisco some years ago. Visit their lovely blog here.

Vinod Dave

Born in a small town Chital, Gujarat ; Vinod Dave did his graduate studies in painting from the M.S University,Baroda. Later , he moved to New York City & made it his new home. Dave's paintings reference Bollywood kitsch, comic books and the gods and goddesses whose images are found on common objects such as matchbooks, firecracker boxes, beedi cigarette packs and gaudy religious posters but with deeper spiritual undertones. He also writes extensively on art and is a prolific curator. More of his works on his blogs here & here.

Tushar Waghela

Chattisgarh based artist Tushar Waghela sent in a couple of his recent pieces from the series titled, Land Sale. "The paintings document the peculiar and heartbreaking irony that plagues the subcontinent: how the fortunes of a few are paid for by the many", says his website. Hmm, ok.More here.

Pushpamala N.

Paris Autumn, Pushpamala N.'s third solo exhibition at Bose Pacia New York, is a cinematic installation in the form of a rich movie theatre experience around the title work, a 35-minute experimental short film created from B&W still photographs. More info here.

Pushpamala's work has traditionally hinged upon illustrative narratives of women's history, memory, and life in contemporary society. Pushpamala N. studied sculpture at the MS University in Baroda, India. Since the mid-1990s she has primarily worked in photo-performance and video.

The exhibition is on display till the 25th of October,2008.

Divine Dzigns

More inbox goodness with NYC based Rekha Krishnamurthi's Divine dZigns. Rekha went to Parsons School of Design and debuted her first collection of contemporary t-shirts for women in 2007.

Divine dZigns is a socially aware brand that fuses the trends of modern chic with the traditional art of henna to bring an eclectic mix of apparel. In addition, Divine dZigns believes in giving back to the global community to help create awareness and foster social responsibility towards mankind. 5% of all online sales supports worthy causes. I love how neutral they are with just the right hint of colour , makes for interesting layering/mixing.

Somapala Pothupitye Acharige

Pala Pothupitia grew up in a family of traditional craftsmen and ritual dancers in Deniyaya , Sri Lanka . Potupitya’s art is decorative and exotic. His works, though they are composed of very common and everyday kitsch material, are completed visual entities which present a sense of being recherché. This changing play of visualities is what makes his works ‘work’.

On one hand, they look like the headgear of ancient and traditional dancers, but closeup they are made of everyday kitsch . When these contradictory and competing visual metaphors are placed in a backdrop made of images of lions – as found in the national identity cards of the citizens of Sri Lanka – the entire visual text transforms itself into a comment/ critique on modernity, modernisation and being modern; or rather on the dilemma of being modern in Sri Lanka. from here.

Joydip Sengupta

Artist Joydip Sengupta had emailed me images of his works sometime back, in lieu of his solo exhibition opening and as much as I loved his paintings , I was so strapped for time that I couldn't make a post then.So here they are now, Enjoy.
In the words of the prolific Johny M, "Joydip Sengupta is a new age chronicler of urban spaces. The system of signs seen in the works of Joydip simultaneously endorses what we call the urban reality and its irrevocability, and the possible critical viewings of the same. And he generally qualifies all these works as ‘Elastic Dreams’. "

Basant Soni

I was really drawn to Collagist Basant Soni's works. They are not typically the sort of thing I am attracted to but I find the technique so honest and direct and the detailing , quite incredible. Soni recycles found objects , mainly natural bits and pieces such as barks or leaves or feathers and composes beautiful images from them.More here & here.

My Little Pakora

I start this glorious wednesday with a delightful little company called My Little Pakora. Started by young mum , Sonia Gupta , My Little Pakora is a clothing brand that retails organic baby wear. Cute eh? . From their website,"At My Little Pakora we are committed to the environment and teaching families how to integrate organic elements into their everyday lives.". Go check their website for more 'pure baby' goodness.

Adeela Suleman

Pakistani artist Adeela Suleman uses mundane household objects to create her sculptural works. Suleman's metallic sculptures are made up of steel drain covers, tongs, nuts & bolts, measuring spoons and cooking utensils which she transforms into skeletal pieces , sometimes reminiscent of insects. Despite the metallic medium , the forms appear curvaceous and sensual. from here.

Ajay Dhandre

Born and brought up in Nagpur and recently moved to Mumbai , Ajay Dhandre's works talk about consumerism and the loneliness of living in the huge metropolis with all its grit & glamour. His interpretations of Mumbai are often futuristic , reflecting his constant awe and fascination for the city. Images from here.

Deepu Sasikumar

Mumbai based Graphic Designer Deepu Sasikumar sent in a couple of his creations. Untold is his artistic showcase on the web where he uploads some of his unconventional design & typography. I personally love the dosha font ;)

Pratibha Singa

A couple of interesting abstracts from Delhi based artist Pratibha Singa.