‘NORONHA’ : DONOVAN GRACIAS ARCHITECTURE
It was a pleasure to shoot the residence of Maria Laura Felicia Menezes e Noronha while also keeping the architect’s intention in mind for a change. I absolutely love exploring well lived-in spaces and talking to Laura was an experience straight out of a 1950’s movie. Cinema and architecture share a unique overlap when it comes to time and embodied space that way!
Architect Donovan Gracias writes, ‘Laura Noronha is an 89 year old who exudes fierce independence, is strongly opinionated and widely travelled. The residential cottage we built for her is on a farm on an island where we worked with an architectural typology commonly seen along the Konkan coast.
The architecture explores passive design strategies which allow for the ease of living of the elder folk as well as for the creative pursuits of Laura’s grandchildren Anjora and Amir Noronha in the future.
From the exterior of the cottage, one observes a humble, unassuming existence. The interior surprises with a wrap-around clerestory, skeletal walls and a flying roof that in unison create a feeling of extension, while fulfilling the basic function of space.’
THE SWEET PROJECT
I was called in as a design consultant by one of the oldest FMCG brands in India to curate the look, feel and narrative style for their online presence. It was a pleasure to design and deliver short format films, photography, illustrations and writing for the brand to take ahead as their identity.
THOMAS THE POTTER
We curated the unraveling of 25 years of Thomas Louis’ practice in Ceramics, Illustration, Painting and Sculpture. It was an absolute pleasure to sift through twenty five years of journals to glean out a display in 10 rollercoaster days, including the graphic identity, exhibition signage, installation, live performances, media and merchandise. What a blast!
We released a first run of customised books in 100 gsm cotton recycled paper, printed and handbound in Goa by the lovely folk at La Fabrica Craft. The series is called ‘Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is forever.’ Thirteen original designs in plain and grid paper, come get them at Fontainhas, Panjim Goa.
Book design by Milann John
SHEEPLESS NIGHTS
In 2017, I followed the process story of all the ceramic works Thomas Louis was making for an installation called ‘Sheepless Nights’ at Banana Pottery. It took a month to get all these pieces together for the final installation at the gallery.
ITALIAN DESIGN ON TOUR
In 2010, we designed the Exhibition layout and Graphic collaterals (exhibition signage, posters, invitations) for ‘100 Pieces of Italian Design on Tour’ through Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi. The exhibitions were accompanied with a showcase of film and workshops at the Italian Embassy, New Delhi and at JJ School of Architecture, Bombay.
A selection of 9 Indian contemporary product designers were curated for a showcase of their designs at the prestigious design festival, Salone di Mobile, in Milan, Italy.
