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Interview with Ariane Thakore Ginwala |
Home > Designer Interviews > Ariane Thakore Ginwala |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Ariane Thakore Ginwala (ATG) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Ariane Thakore Ginwala by clicking here.
FS: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
ATG: I was inclined towards art since an early age and it began when my family home was being re-done when I was about 12 and I knew that this is the world I wanted to be a part of. I went on to work with the designer that was re-doing my house at age 17 and after finishing my master’s degree in Economics, I went to Kent Institute of Art& Design to study Spatial Design.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
ATG: After coming back from Kent, I went back to the very designer that had inspired me as a child to gain some work experience for a couple of years and then started my very own deisgn studio.
FS: What is "design" for you?
ATG: Aesthetically functional, ergonomically efficient and above all, sustainable.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
ATG: Furniture rooted in vernacual design but reinterpreted for a contemporary space.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
ATG: There are too many, you can’t ask a mother to pick a favourite.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
ATG: We designed chairs for my very own company.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
ATG: Wood with techniques like inlay & mosaic.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
ATG: When I am out in the nature, when I am in heritage spaces or around antiquities.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
ATG: Ergonomic form, Aesthetic yet functional and sustainable.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
ATG: Nervousness and apprehension yet a sense of positivity and excitement
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
ATG: Sense of satisfaction and personal accomplishment
FS: What makes a design successful?
ATG: A perfect balance of proportions, form and function
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
ATG: Comfort
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
ATG: Being as sustainable as possible in their designs and to not deplete the resources they are offered by nature.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
ATG: It was in April of 2019 in Chennai & Bangalore. My next exhibit is going to be the Architectural Digest Design Show tentatively in October.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
ATG: At the end of the day, nature is the ultimate source of inspiration for any artist. Our most acclaimed collection, ‘The Forest Collection’ was inspired by my recent travels to the Borneo Rainforest. The Turkey Tail Table itself was inspired by the mushrooms, fungi and the micro-ecology of the forest
FS: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
ATG: Vernacularly contemporary and that’s my instinctive approach to design and my own style.
FS: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
ATG: I live in India in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, INDIA that is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It influences me heavily in every aspect.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
ATG: I begin with observation. If something catches my eye, I explore the form, colors and textures and translate those into furniture pieces.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
ATG: I wake up early and have a cup of coffee. Do breathing exercises, go for a walk. Have the most important meal of the day, breakfast. Get to work and shuttle between the studio and the workshop. Evenings are for Pilates and end the day with some Netflix and reading.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
ATG: Trust your gut. Work on your instincts. Don’t get swamped up in trends but forge a path for your own style.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
ATG: There are no negatives. You get to start every day with a blank canvas and have such creative freedom that ultimately it liberates and heals me as a person.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
ATG: Comfort
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
ATG: Sketching, understanding of proportions, Creative and functional visualization and the knack for business and execution.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
ATG: I am very old school. I use paper and pencil, even an eraser because we all make mistakes.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
ATG: With extreme focus, immaculate coordination and an impeccable team that is the backbone of the company.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
ATG: It varies. Sometimes, you get it right at one go, sometimes it can take several reiterations
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
ATG: Furniture work that has its basis in hand-crafting techniques. I am not a huge fan of technology and machine production.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
ATG: To develop more collections for This and That and eventually build a vocational center to breathe life into dying techniques of hand-crafting like inlay, mosaic and metal-work.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
ATG: I develop them myself
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
ATG: We are working on a new wildlife experiential hotel project which is going to be really interesting for the Indian market.
FS: How can people contact you?
ATG: Instagram: thisandthatindia Facebook: thisandthatindia Website: thisandthat.in Email: connect@thisandthat.in
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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