Edible Letters

Apart from lettering+calligraphy and Bollywood movies, I have another passion for FOOD! No... I am not talking about my culinary skills, but I am talking about how food makes me peppy and charged! Yeah I am total FOODIE! I love to eat and experiment new food. Being a vegetarian I have a limited choices but I still manage to find some way the other interesting things and combination to satisfy my hunger.
What if my these passions come together, lettering and food? letters created with food? Don't be amazed just have a look at these images. I did this small experiment in office kitchen when our cook was serving evening snack. (Yeah we are one of the luckiest studio where we get homemade lunch and snacks and n amount of teas and coffees as per our *demands*)
Here are the Palak Chillas (Spinach Creps) converted into letters:

This is Devnagri letter 'e'.

 This is Devnagri letter 'a' (not the apple 'a').

This is Roman letter 'A'.

This is Devnagri letter 'a' (Yes the apple 'a').

It was complete fun and a good break between office work. Thanks Dayanand for letting me use kitchen and Rikta for helping to shape my letters.

: : Show 2 : : Glimpses

Finally I got some time to post few pictures of the latest show. This show was awesome experience in terms of meeting different sets of people, getting their reaction and  appreciation was just fantastic. This exhibition had more professional touch than the previous one.
The venue was simply fabulous, its an academy of art and craft situated near Siri Fort (excellent location, easily accessible from any part of Delhi) run by the great artist Arpana Caur. It has two floors with basement where they have library, vocational training centre and of course two mid sizes exhibition galleries. Here is one of the gallery where we displayed our work. Many friends, colleagues, relatives (of other artists) were present for opening.

Some of my work, I displayed total 6 artworks.

This is devnagri 'T' with anuswara.

This is devnagri 'L' with double maatras. 

I also displayed some 'diaries' for sale. More details on the next post :)

A Group of Young Artists : : {Show TWO}

I would like to invite you for an another exhibition. Again its a group show of SIX young artists. They will showcase the mixed media artworks and paintings at Arpana Caur Gallery from 3-8 August, 2010. Its in Delhi, near Siri Fort Auditorium, whoever is in Delhi during that time please do come and visit the show. I am showcasing total 6 artworks with 5 other artists who have completely distinct styles.

Right side middle one is mine (I am sure you must have guessed it obviously ;)

LETTERFORMative : : Show {One}

Finally we took down the show! LETTERFORMative was an awesome experience. It was nice to know common man people are getting aware and amazed by this art, Calligraphy. Well, my intention was always to showcase Devnagri in modern form and should reach international platform. I enjoy experimenting and playing with various tools, techniques and materials. I personally like to make calligraphy more 'image centric' and create a visual abstraction of letterforms; where I am OK, if legibility takes a back seat. All letterforms have an excellent structure, body; its just a matter of peeling of each layer and exploring its hidden beauty.
Making an artworks were a game of ups and downs. It was frustrating to achieve a desired stroke after wasting days & days and papers or sometimes it was a joyful moment when accident with ink, paper and hand resulting in never-seen-piece.

Here are some pictures of behind the scene and actual show:

 Slowly going up

Finally all are up

 In the ambience

 I also made one lamp, displayed below (right side, Prism shaped). I am in the process of making such products.

Other artists were from JJ School of Art, Mumbai (Sarang, Noopur, Pradnya and Yashodeep) have a unique style. More abstract, slightly quirky and minimalistic. They have taken these alphabets in different level. This bunch is purely dedicated to type design and typography. I found overall more systematic approach than 'free' but that's their perception of looking Letterart and no doubt it was looking kickass!

Other artist cum faculty was Mr Kharsani from Ahmedabad, very experienced amongst rest of the gang. All the artworks show his trained and well-prepared 'hand' and knowledge of DNA of each alphabets. I amazed the way he gives energy and freedom to his letters.

I would like to thank Mocha ArtHouse team, my studio Codesign for their support. 
Here is curator Sandhya and me, trying to click photo of artworks, but in vain, because of stark glare and reflection; literally shooting stars, glares.

This show encourages and motivates me to do another show and look at this art more serious.
Yes I am already participating another show...see the next post for details and excitement.
Some photos by Vinay Jois.

The Festivals of India : : Calendar

Remember 'The festivals of India' post? This is the detailed post of the same. Its a calender I have designed for a client 'Tricolite' who manufactures and supplies big electric machines for big scale companies. The theme which they decided this year was 'festivals of India'–different festivals celebrated in different parts of India in different months.
We decided to use calligraphy. Not only for lettering but explored the forms and graphics with calligraphy techniques. Basically all the graphics were made with strokes. It was a challenging experience in terms of creating 'imagery' with such constrains. With lots of experiments with nib thicknesses and dirtying hands and papers, finally we were ready with sets of graphics related to 12 festivals. Later it digitally scanned, composed and colour corrected.

Here is the cover:

We were actually running behind the time. The calenders should have reached the customers by mid of January. Because of some production hiccups we managed to deliver it by end of February. Hence the calender starts with April 2010 and ends with March 2011. Here are some glimpses of months/festivals.

This project was an experience! I was going through a severe pain, had a major dental surgery which became very complicated and was absolutely bed ridden for 5 days, couldn't open my mouth and move anywhere. This calligraphy came as savior. I have to be forcefully at home. D told me about this calender and was desperately in mood to do what I really like.
Actually this calligraphy worked as the best remedy for me to recover fast :)
This is how it looks as a spread:

Close up of forms and inks and texture:

Client as well as their customers were really happy to receive this 'piece'. Thanks Meera, Ayush and Dahiya and Mohor. Photocredits: Maithili Doshi.

Preview

Sneak preview of ongoing exhibition in ArtHouse. As I promised I will get back to you with detailed information about exhibition my experience, responses, artists etc. in next post. Till then enjoy this.

My First Exhibition : : Invitation

I am really sorry for this long gap and couldn't post so far. The reason of disappearing was the exhibition. Yes, I am displaying my Calligraphy work (almost 15) in Mocha ArtHouse, here in Delhi.  Its a group exhibition, called LETTERFORMATIVE. There are total 6 artists, four from Mumbai, one from Ahmedabad and me. It's an excellent experience of experiments and learning. Hope to get a good response. I will write in detail about exhibition and other artists in the next post.
So here it is...
Leehkin is cordially invite all of you to calligraphy exhibition which will be on from 30th May till 10th of July, almost a month long. Whoever is in Delhi, visiting Delhi during this time, please drop in to the ArtHouse. PS: The artwork used in the invite is created by me ;)
 

Conversation with Passengers

Recently I went to Palampur and Andretta by train. I love train journeys. Its fascinating to just watch and hear people around you. I am the last one to initiate the conversation though I enjoy what they discuss, tell, crib about...publicly ;)

Moleskine Mania

Moleskine • Many thanks Avinash!

Letters Arts Review Annual Issue

My work got selected and published in this year's annual juried issue of Letters Arts Review, an excellent calligraphy magazine. There were total 314 entries created by 98 artists from 20 different countries. I am very happy and excited as judges selected my work and gave the opportunity to stand with other well known calligraphers. Also the exposure of Indian Devnagri script on international front. That's really motivating and gives me kick to do more challenging stuff.

An artwork which I sent was a popular poem by Late HarivanshRai Bachchan. Its in Devnagri script, written by Lamy fountain pen with blue ink on orange cartridge paper.

Thanks Alice, John Neal,  Christopher Calderhead.

 
Photo Credits for submission: Rajesh Dahiya

Scribble*r

Some online experiments with scribbler and LOVED it! Thanks Ghate

A BIG THANK YOU!!

Its been pending for a while; I take this opportunity to thank everyone to make this blog active and successful. 
I am enjoying this blog thoroughly not just calligraphy and design are my passion but also to meet nice, like minded people from various parts of the world.

Thanks everyone to follow this blog religiously, visiting same site week after week and months...32 followers so far, not bad at all. 

Thanks everyone for your encouraging comments that motivate me and charge me to create something new!
Keep blogging and keep visiting Leehkin!

A BIG

Brownies!!

A brass cut-nib is lying with me since I bought it from Florence (Italy) two years back. After that I never dared to touch it, don't know why; may be I was scared that I will ruin its well finished, classy angle and material. But finally I made up my mind and used it unrestrainedly and what a BLISS!!
During this our first time rendezvous, I also found a new love for Brown ink which equally gave stunning result...complete Brownie points!!

 

  

  

  

 

Pictures by: Maithili