Saachi Mehta imparts her knowledge while gaining new knowledge. A professor, an illustrator and a believer in focusing on one’s work. This is her story and her work as she steps into the spotlight.
A minor introduction, if you aren’t freelancing or studying, where are you working and what’s your current job title?
I am currently working at NMIMS School of Design, as an Assistant Professor for the B.Des program. Although, I continue to take up design and illustration commissions as much as I can.
What made you so good at what you do? What was your journey like from discovering your craft to acquiring the skill you have now?
There is just one occurrence that continues till date, which is when I have worked not just hard but with all the passion and involvement, it’s then that the projects have flowered, so the good is a product of that.
From Bhansali’s Bollywood Retrospective Screening
As for the journey, it began early for me, right from school days where my mother noticed my hand skills at drawing and making things and got me enrolled for the preliminary art exams. I also enjoyed writing in all forms, which helped me to articulate and present those creations. This urge of wanting to create things and add meanings to them with words led me to take up visual and communication arts and finally illustration and visual media as my masters. I was fortunate to have some great teachers along the way. They have guided me and also opened me up to newer avenues. Although I am still working hard on bettering my skills and hope to continue doing so, the journey has still just begun and I have miles to go…
After dealing with clients/bosses/teachers, which moment with them was the strongest learning experience for you?
There isn’t just one moment, but it happens every time that someone mentions something I don’t know of, and I find all the possible resources to know and learn about it. This continues to happen and I enjoy this process, as it keeps me on my toes.
Be passionately curious and learn from everyone around.
In the whole world, whose work do you aspire yours to be like? What attracts you to appreciate what they do?
If I could pick the work of anyone dead or alive in the whole world, I would pick Srinivas Ramanujan’s, a mathematician, because his equations were created by imagination and his methods are beyond logic, yet his equations prove to be correct till date, and he was way ahead of his time, even calculating black holes before their discovery. It is very ambitious, to aspire to create even a minuscule piece of work that’s like his, but then why not?
From Oh Spit!
What do most people not realise about your work/area of expertise?
Most people don’t realise the power of visual communication. It has become limited to aesthetics and beautification, while the whole point of communicating is missed. It has also become a profession catering to the higher income strata of society, instead of it being a means to communicate to the masses.
Which project of yours are you particularly proud of? Could you tell us a little about it?
It would be the ‘Warli and Twitter meet Mumbai’ project. It is my favourite as it is an attempt at combining the age old Indian tradition of Warli painting – a minimalistic visual communication form, with Twitter – a contemporary minimalistic literary communication form. It began with the representation of various tweets in a Warli format, leading on to a creation of 140 WarlEmoji characters, and finally a tweet composed of these WarlEmoji characters inspired from a Mumbai setting.
From Warli and Twitter meet Mumbai
Can we have a piece of advice that helps you with your own workflow?
Something that helps me with my workflow is to continuously challenge myself, professionally and personally and I recommend it highly. Be passionately curious and learn from everyone around. It opens great levels of perception.
From CokEmoji
So, what are you working on now?
I am currently working on various fronts as far as NMIMS School of Design is concerned, and otherwise, I’m creating a series of 52 hands at work – under the title ‘KAR’, which in Hindi means ‘hands’ as well as ‘to do’.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
I really don’t envision myself at a particular place or position, but I do hope and aspire that the work I do, impacts people. It resonates with an inspiring quote from our current Prime Minister, he says –“Kuch karne ke sapne dekho, naa ki kuch banne ke, karte karte ban gaye toh ban gaye, aur nahi bane to karne ka anand bahut rahega.”
What refreshes your creative juices?
Humour, in all forms, refreshes my creative juices. I consume a lot of written and visual content in the comedy genre. And otherwise, travelling helps me pick stories from different people and cultures and that then flows into the work I create.
From Curiously Satisfying
Have you ever tried your hand at a different creative field? If yes, how did that turn out?
Yes, I have. Like I mentioned earlier – creative writing, it is something I enjoy a lot and I did begin two Facebook pages to post the content, and it received a great response, although, there has been a long pause in that area, due to other things on my plate. I hope to revive my writing journey as well.
If you had to start afresh in the industry today, would you choose a different path and if so, what would it be?
I had initially planned a different path altogether, the school I picked to graduate from, I was late to secure admissions and so the choice changed, and even my Masters, I got offered a course I hadn’t even applied to, but I chose to take it up and it seems to have taught me a lot more and given immense exposure, so I guess my deciding a path hasn’t really worked for me, I have just chosen every opportunity that came my way and tried to make it work in my favour.
From The Future of Money – Victoria & Albert Publication
If you could claim that any one person’s work in India as your own, who would it be?
It would be Sameer Kulavoor – the Mumbai based illustrator and founder of Bombay Duck Designs.
Now that you’re a Spotlight artist, what would you like to say to ‘all the haters’?
Nothing. The work will speak for itself.
Quick Questions
Favourite font?
Bodoni – Serif, Fira – Sans Serif and Shusha – Devanagiri Script
Favourite movie?
A book everybody should read?
A Brief History of Time and The Alchemist
A quick tip to everybody who does the same job as you?
Stay Interested; Stay Committed.
What’s the best project you’ve seen on IndieFolio?
From Story-teller by Yohan Mody
Could you make something exclusive for us in the next 5 minutes?
Go and check out Saachi Mehta’s portfolio and see what else is there to see and enjoy.
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