AnimationXpress.com Ishpreet chandock had a conversation with Sameer Kulavoor- Broadcast designer, Animator and Illustrator about his works and more…
Excerpts…
You have juggled into a lot of work from an illustrator to animation, broadcast designer and director. Tell us about it?
My approach to work is simple. I don’t restrict myself to a medium. I take up selected work. If a certain project interests me and is in line with the kind of work I like, so I take it up. The output could be anything – a music video, a TVC, an illustrated campaign, music festival branding, album art, channel show packaging, movie titles animation, a zine, a book, editorial illustrations, an exhibit. Its not about juggling work, its about balancing everything. It’s a conscious decision. For me it kills monotony and keeps my mind and work fresh.
Do you also teach this art to people? How has been your experience?
When I find the time I do take workshops for students. Always a good feeling to give back something to the community.
Tell us about your recent projects?
I love to do projects that are in my area of interest. One of our recent projects was to develop the look, design, identity, illustration and overall art direction for India’s biggest music festival – Bacardi NH7 Weekender. It was a great experience to have done a project of such magnitude. And the feedback couldn’t have been better. My self-initiated projects: Zeroxwallah Zine and Sidewalks & Coffeeshops volume1 have been received well. Although challenging, we enjoyed creating the music video for Pentagram – Lovedrug Climbdown.
So how was it working on NH7 Weekender festival?
It was a big responsibility and a great opportunity to create a body of work for an Indian music festival with such high standards. The linchpin of the work we did for NH7 weekender 2011 was to create a vibe that truly reflected the festival. It worked out perfectly for us, for the organizers – OML and for the people who attended the fest in huge numbers.
Your body of work has a lot of variety in terms of its subject and Genre for instance you have a lot of work for books, advertisements, music videos, editorials and exhibitions? Is it a conscious move on your part?
A multi-disciplinarian approach to work helps when it all stems out of the same aesthetics. At the core I am a designer. As a designer I use my senses and skills to illustrate, animate and curate art projects. When I sit down to work at my studio I do not distinguish between them. Sometimes one may be more enjoyable than the other but that depends on the project.
Your personal projects are based a lot on the city of Mumbai? Tell us about it?
I was born in suburban Bombay and was witness to the chaos & contrast of one of the fastest growing metropolitan in the world. I’ve closely seen globalization transform my surroundings. I’ve seen the advent of mobile phones and internet and the way it changed communication and design. I’ve seen television when it had only 2 channels and now with about 1000 channels. I’ve watched Ek Anek Chidiya on DD national & Avtaar on HBO. And music on MTV (when it was about music) I’m from a generation that has seen things change very rapidly. I think it has shaped me work wise and as a person. My dad is Malayali and my mom is Gujarati. I’m lucky to have parents with an open mind who never once stopped or questioned me when I used to make flipbooks out of textbooks as a child. They knew I was an artist long back, even before I knew what it means.
Tell us more about 100%ZINE? What was the idea behind the magazine?
100%ZINE started as a small discussion in mid-2010 between me and Lokesh Karekar. There’s a lack of good quality art publications to showcase upcoming and established visual/graphic artists and illustrators work in India. Instead of cribbing about it, we took matters in our own hands. With 100% focus on one theme (issue no.1: SOUND, issue no.2: UNSEEN) we invite artists to contribute an artwork based on their interpretation and imagination of the said theme. The result is 100%ZINE: a jumbo-(A3)-size zine, with poster-like A3 artworks, where viewers/readers can actually enjoy the imagery right to the tiny details and know more about the respective artist. The response has been positive and it couldn’t have been possible without the support of the community. 100%SOUND was launched at NH7 Weekender and 100%UNSEEN had a preview exhibit at Filter, Kalaghoda, Mumbai and a simultaneous showcase at world design capital 2012 Helsinki, Finland.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on an illustrated series about bicycles which is going to be a traveling exhibit and a sine.
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