Mr Sameer Kulavoor will take his seat now

On a balmy afternoon Sameer Kulavoor steps out to meet us on a pavement when we cannot figure out the location of his studio Bombay Duck Designs nestled in one of Mazagaonrsquos buzzing bylanes The 33yearold visual artist and designer is wearing a zippered sweatshirt over a plain white tee that states lsquoohrsquo quite our reaction when we are ushered into the attic studio post a cautious climb of a narrow wooden staircase bordered by fairy lightsSameer Kulavoor with a sketch of a man taking a nap on the noisy Mohammad Ali Road PicsSayed Sameer AbediThe tastefully done compact space though a tad messy Itrsquos supposed to be packs in an oldstyle lowback cane sofa work stations for two of his team members his work desk along with a pantry and an array of artworks that are part of his impressive resume It includes commercial design work for NH7 Weekender animation music videos for Pentagram branding campaigns for production houses a mural of a kirana shop for Godrej One and collaborations with TaxiFabric KultureShop and most significantly The Ghoda Cycle Project that witnessed four of the designerrsquos drawings on a series of Tshirts by the UK fashion brand Paul Smith Commercially we do 10 projects a year which isnrsquot a lot But thatrsquos because we are quite selective says KulavoorKulavoor sketched a person clapping while watching gully cricket in Girgaum which is part of the solo exhibition Please Have A SeatCurrently however taking up most space at the studio are 11 white acrylic boards some neatly packed with fluorescent pink borders which are part of the artistrsquos first solo exhibition Please Have A Seat The exhibition begins on April 22 at Artisansrsquo The boards feature blackandwhite drawings from the artistrsquos sketchbook mainly hand gestures like a clap or a stretch and figures with minimal representation read a man sleeping with a hand covering his eyes or another curled up with just the bottom half of the body drawn mdash enlarged via screenprinting technique Seven of the drawings will also bedisplayed as wooden desk piecesExcerpts from an interview with Kulavoor see facing pageQ Why did you decide to do a solo exhibitionA For the past four years as a practice I carry a sketchbook with me While travelling or waiting for a client at a meeting I often sketch what I observe which serves as a resource and also brings back memories The idea of the exhibition came about a yearandhalf back when I flipped through my sketchbooks 20 of them and relooked at the drawings Though each were drawn at a particular place and time many are ambiguous without a context So I selected 18 such symbolic representations which also in a way signify slowing down justifying the title I want people to take back a sense of calm when they see the drawingsKulavoor displays the sketch of a sleeping man he drew during his train journey from Chennai to Mumbai PicsSayed Sameer AbediQ Why did you particularly screen print in blackandwhiteA I wanted the drawings to look as they were in my sketchbook The purity and starkness of blackandwhite is irreplaceable I have been influenced by screenprinting technique where you use less colour to say more I would like to explore colours but only when there is need The Ghoda Cycle Project was colourfulQ Tell us about some of the worksA I drew a clap while watching a gully cricket match in Girgaum there are sketches from a trip to Goa of a sleeping man while I was on a train from Chennai and of a guy at Mohammad Ali Road taking a nap with a hand on his eyes who managed to cut off from the noise in the dense market I also sketched a guy at Churchgate station who was sleeping with his feet curled up on a handcart Thatrsquos what Bombay does to you There is lack of space and you make do with whatever you haveCurios and artworks that dot a shelf at Kulavoorrsquos studio in MazagaonQ Wersquove seen Mumbairsquos influence in your previous works too like KalaGhoda MusingsA Itrsquos been by chance because I was born here and because I spend a lot of time here However I travel a lot Last December I spent a month in New York I donrsquot want to limit myself to Mumbai influencesQ Yoursquove collaborated with TaxiFabric and KultureShop where art extends beyond a gallery to taxi seats and Tshirts Is that integral for an artist todayA It depends from person to person I like my work to be relevant Medium is secondary I have worked with music videos murals and flipbooks When I use different media it keeps my work fresh and also gives me a chance of collaborating with different people where the final product becomes a collective Thatrsquos fascinating For instance The Ghoda Cycle Project mdash independently my drawings would have just been in a book But it is great to take them a step ahead to a global audienceQ From your collaboration with Paul Smith any lessons where Indian brandartist collaborations can do betterA There is so much scope Brands tend to look at things narrowly They should be bolder It neednrsquot have to be literal connect with the art For instance Irsquove been involved with NH7 Weekender since 2011 and we have tried to make it a 360degree experience where itrsquos not just about music Two years back we created eyes and videos played inside them which was trippy If someone remembers the experience they will remember the brandQ Is it important to develop onersquos style when fakes are on a rise and artists add forced coolness to their workA I try to stay away from clicheacutes My work emerges only from my observations which is personal When people emulate somewhere you can spot the influences Itrsquos unethical and secondly what makes them stand apart From April 22 to 30 11 am to 7 pm At ARTISANSrsquo 5256 VB Gandhi Marg Kala Ghoda Call 9820145397