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Harini Chandrasekar is an Industrial Designer with a specialization in textiles from India’s premier design school, The National Institute of Design. The prestigious Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Sweden as well as the Politechnico Di Milano in Italy added to her education and international perspective. She then went on to teach courses such as design concepts and concerns, print-making, sustainability and craft and strategic design thinking while working with several global clients across Sweden, Italy, Finland and India. She is currently enrolled in the Global Marketing Communication & Advertising program at Emerson College to add a new dimension to her skills. Harini hopes to integrate creativity with management to create new and engaging ideas in the field of marketing communication.

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The Madras Designery

Thoughts and Illustrations from my daily blog

Filtering by Category: Illustrations

Ganjifa Playing cards!

Harini Chandrasekar

I'm pretty excited to share this project with you guys! A collaborative effort with a group of dear old friends, I created the back illustration inspired by Mughal marble inlay as seen in the Taj Mahal- Arguably, India's most iconic monument. The wonderfully festive packaging effort as well as the pictures are courtesy the company Original Copy. The idea for these circular playing cards was sparked by the craft of ‘GANJIFA’ or traditional playing cards introduced to India by the Mughals.

Please check them out at the newly launched store https://www.facebook.com/originalcopybytd

Final Interactive Bedroom

Harini Chandrasekar

While wall decals have been around for a while and are here to stay, occasionally, they appear to hang loose in a large room looking lost. This project that I wrapped up a few weeks ago aims to combine the best of wall decals and interactivity by creating a stage and providing a context to the characters with the usage of whiteboard paint. This serves to create a more meaningful & engaging space over-all. The whiteboard areas can be doodled upon and used for homework, notes, list of chores, reminders or just simple drawings of anything under the sun. The first activity the lil imp, the proud owner of this room, indulged in was to paint the tree house itself in her own special way:) Detail of a wall decal character with his interactive whiteboard speech bubble merrily doodled upon. Detail of the tree house under which the Pop & Lolli wall decal divas mill around casting their magic spell.Below is a glimpse into the process and transformation of the space.Interacting with the space.

 

 

Weekend Getaways!

Harini Chandrasekar

"Leaf peeping" in Vermont over the weekend allowed for a gorgeous fall feast of foliage. Below is a small "peep" into my wonderfully vibrant weekend filled with rich golden hues:) "A man who cultivates his garden, as Voltaire wished. He who is grateful for the existence of music. He who takes pleasure in tracing an etymology. Two workmen playing, in a café in the South, a silent game of chess. The potter, contemplating a color and a form. The typographer who sets this page well, though it may not please him. A woman and a man, who read the last tercets of a certain canto. He who strokes a sleeping animal. He who justifies, or wishes to, a wrong done him. He who is grateful for the existence of Stevenson. He who prefers others to be right. These people, unaware, are saving the world. - Jorge Luis Borges"

 

Final Playroom

Harini Chandrasekar

A little while ago, I had shared the progress of a small playroom project I was working on. Now that it is complete, below are some pictures of the final space and details. Enjoy!

As a result of the black areas being chalkboard, the walls provide an empty canvas for a child's creative inputs and imagination.

The clouds, being magnetic serve as pin-up zones for posters, artworks and homework etc. The graphics include roads and trucks as well as the magic of castles and fairy tales.

To keep it fun, created a template whereby the family could add their own personal stories, travels, touches through stickers and personalize the entire room over time.

Under the weather.

Harini Chandrasekar

I just got back home after a month of being out-of-town and was instantly holed up in bed with an awful cold and bags under my eyes like a raccoon. Nevertheless, enjoyed all the pampering that came my way showered with love and some hot tea!:) Feeling "under the weather" was a phrase that apparently sprung from maritime roots. During storms, the seas would get rough, causing passengers and even sailors to frequently become sea-sick. This lead to the passengers heading below the deck to a lower point where the rocking was less pronounced. Passengers were thus forced under the deck away from the elements/ weather and the expression “under the weather” was born!

Bedroom Divas!

Harini Chandrasekar

While I love fun wall decals and believe they can pep up a rather staid room, I do believe putting them into a context can add immense value and charm. This is what my new project revolves around.. Creating a setting for these delightful and sassy Diva girls from Pop & Lolli (check them out on http://www.popandlolli.com/shop/stickers/design-diva-sassy-and-sweet-dress-me-girl-accessories). Below is a glimpse into the start of the project at the end of Day 1 and I'll be sure to update the blog with the final bedroom. The white zones are interactive and can be written on once the dry erase paint "cures" in a few days time.

Animal farm.

Harini Chandrasekar

"THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal." - George Orwell, Animal Farm, Ch. 2

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting a neighboring farm filled with happy animals galore. It made me want to re-look and rework an old series of animal posters I started several months ago. Below are some explorations of whats cooking!:)

Project Playroom.

Harini Chandrasekar

What was once a 9 year old boy's hideout clad in a Spiderman theme (explains why the room was orange and blue to begin with, doesn't it?:), has now been transformed into a neutral, interactive and fun playroom. The black hills are made of chalkboard/ blackboard paint and all the clouds (and a couple of mountains) are magnetic and serve as ready spaces for artwork, pictures and other essential toddler trinkets to be displayed. The room is still a work in progress and I'll be sure to post the final effect once this project is fully wrapped up.

A timeline of the process offers a glimpse into how it all began and where it has reached thus far.

Children's room mural.

Harini Chandrasekar

Recently, I embarked on a project to create an interactive wall mural for my friend's lovely kids. A simple graphic in black and white of rolling hills with areas of interaction (interspersed in the form of chalkboard as well as colorful pin-up areas) in which the kids can add their own touch. The theme is neutral enough that it can be embellished with princesses and butterflies or dragons and trucks. I'm still in the process of fleshing this out and would love to hear your feedback and thoughts!:)

Favorite Painting!

Harini Chandrasekar

Interesting crops of a favorite painting of mine: A precious tribal Gond Painting received as a wedding gift from a dear friend. The Gond tribal community is one of India's largest indigenous communities and their wonderfully expressive art is a reflection of their everyday quest for life. The art is created with the core community belief that "viewing a good image begets good luck." Gond art draws inspiration from myths and legends to daily life filled with dreams and imagination. Loaded with intricate details and an emotional connect, each Gond artist has a subtle yet signature style.

Cloud filled dreams.

Harini Chandrasekar

Aren't the clouds beautiful? They look like big balls of cotton... I could just lie here all day, and watch them drift by... If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the cloud formations... What do you think you see, Linus?"- Charles M. Schulz, The Complete Peanuts

"You must not blame me if I do talk to the clouds." - Henry Thoreau

"A Dream is where a boy can swim in the deepest oceans and fly over the highest clouds." JK Rowling, Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban