Illustrator and visual designer Kabini Amin doesn’t like to be pinned down, either geographically or creatively
What drew you to a career in design?
KA: I joined the National Institute of Design following the suggestion of a high school classmate who saw me drawing in my notebooks. I’d been drawing and painting and making things ever since I could remember, so the suggestion seemed like a good enough fit. I knew nothing of what design, or even art, was at the point. Coming from a typical standardized education and the hyper-structured life of the military, I was both amazed and intimidated by the freedom to play with, explore, and delve into work that a design education accorded. It wasn’t until much later that I really understood what that freedom enabled. I went from a degree in Animation Film Design to working more as a graphic designer and then illustrator, to trying to position myself more as an auteur illustrator, and am now attempting to cross pollinate my processes of design with my ideas of ecology, conservation and learning.
Has it been challenging to work as an independent consultant?
KA: Being stuck in the same kind of traffic, twice a day, every day, is my personal definition of torture! The financial instability of being an independent consultant can be particularly anxiety-inducing as well. When I started out, it was about having flexible work hours so I could pursue my other interests and whims. I soon realized I liked being in direct contact with the work, the way it is framed, the way it shapes up, the interaction with clients. Currently a large part of my motivation as a freelancer is working with inspiring content and people that I’d learn from, and that would broaden my views. The only advice I could give to people wanting to start out on their own is to identify what their support structures are, whether financial, logistical or even just emotional.
Tell us about your leanings towards conservation.
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A Legacy Continues
Leveraging the success of his family's export business, Naman Jain is focusing on creating a retail presence in India
Creating KAIRA
Long fascinated by Indian fabric, Nikita Gupta has launched an attractive line of contemporary apparel in traditional block prints
Stories faces tell
Aditya Narula dabbled in various vocations before he realized portraiture was the best way to express the fascinating complexities of the people he encountered along the way
time tested DESIGN
Surrounded by art and architecture as a child, Sarah Sham went on to take the family antiques business in a new direction through her interior design venture
DANGEROUSLY DELICATE
Kavya Potluri's attention to minute detail is what sets her intricate and unconventional jewelry apart
music as muse
A multidisplinary visual artist, Aaron Pinto, also known as Kidsquidy, has had an interesting journey that started with MTV and has him now working on everything from music videos to stage design
DEVELOPING A DISCOURSE
Documentary photographer Taha Ahmad believes his work has a greater purpose than merely being admired by a select audience for its esthetic value. It's when people are able to see the underside of society and understand the prevailing social injustice that the work tries to reveal that it is truly worthwhile.
Tiny little Stories
Creating miniature worlds allows Ruchika Nambiar to continue to play childlike games of make-believe
The Richness Of Handmade
Amit Vijaya and Richard Pandav are committed to bringing together many hands and hearts through their clothing label ‘amrich’
The perfect balance
Aniruddh Mehta is as much graphic designer as visual artist, and he tries to do justice to both through his work at Studio Bigfat