The Royal College of Art (RCA) has opened its muchtalked about graduate show to the world online; featuring 850 exemplary students from around the world. It kickstarted the careers of famous creatives’ such as artist David Hockney, industrial designer Sir James Dyson, and the well known art critic, historian and curator, Geeta Kapur, from the Indian turf.
The Morning Standard spoke to a few Delhi-based artists showcasing their artworks at the show.
Deepak Kathait has artworks with a work-in-progress theme that explores the spiritual, metaphysics and nature themes. He experiments with various materials, techniques across mediums such as photography, drawing, painting, print and digital media, and combines abstraction and minimalism. Kathait has shown his works at the Gujral Foundation, Lalit Kala Academy, India Habitat Centre, All India Fine Art and Craft Society. Ravista Mehra has a BFA in Graphic Design and Comparative Literature and Creative Writing from the Rhode Island School of Design.
She views her role of a ‘designer’ being equivalent to that of a storyteller. “That is what I am. A bilingual storyteller and visual communicator from New Delhi. As a designer, my practice lies in the interdisciplinary fields of graphic design, photography, filmmaking, writing and research. The world is built around misconceptions, and to me design is one of the lenses that allows clarifications.”
She aims to decolonise the world and appreciate the other’s stories.
“The framework I am leaving RCA with is one of questioning, dismantling and rebuilding. Decolonising yourself is the first step. I will attempt to unlearn and relearn for the rest of my life, in my personal and professional life,” she says. Architect Aarushi Kalra aims to be methodical in her work.
“I like design to be curious, introspective and inquisitive, that delves into an idea bigger than just spatial experience. My projects have explored boundaries between architecture, interiors and other fields of art and design, opening my mind to infinite possibilities.”
In relation to India, she strives to strike a balance between tradition and modernity. “I enjoy making spaces that are complex in conception but are easy to experience and engage with,” she says. Siddhi Gupta – an illustrator working with education, culture and communication – incorporates notes, words, visuals, workshops and rarely performances in her work. Passionate about the application of art and design in education, Siddhi wants to facilitate engagement with her work.