Welcome to Samvaad, where art meets conversation, and inspiration knows no bounds. Here we engage in insightful conversations with eminent personalities from the art fraternity. Through Samvaad, Abir Pothi aims to create a platform for thought-provoking discussions, providing readers with an exclusive glimpse into the creative processes, inspirations, and experiences of these creative individuals. From curating groundbreaking exhibitions to pushing the boundaries of artistic expression, our interviews shed light on the diverse perspectives and contributions of these art luminaries. Samvaad is your ticket to connect with the visionaries who breathe life into the art world, offering unique insights and behind-the-scenes glimpses into their fascinating journeys.
In this enlightening dialogue between esteemed architect Nomita Goswami and visionary entrepreneur Ruby Jagrut, we gain profound insights into the dynamic landscape of architecture and design. Nomita Goswami, renowned for her innovative architectural approach and meticulous attention to detail, brings forth her extensive experience and nuanced perspective on the evolving trends in the industry. On the other hand, Ruby Jagrut, the pioneering force behind Abir India, is celebrated for her commitment to seamlessly blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics. Together, they engage in a thought-provoking conversation exploring the intricacies of client dynamics, the evolving role of designers, and the impact of cultural awareness on architectural projects. Join us as we delve into their captivating exchange, navigating through the intersections of culture, creativity, and craftsmanship.
Ruby: This is anyone’s dream project, where the client gives freedom, provides a good budget, and allows you to do whatever you want. So, that’s a pretty convenient answer. But the right answer is also this: you said that you tell your interns to take references, understand, and find their own expression. Alright, so you must also appreciate different art forms. You probably appreciate good films, appreciate good art forms. So, tell me about your favourite art form. Tell me about your favourite artist, which could be a musician, a painter, or even a good chef. It could be anyone, but who is your favourite artist? Don’t mention the name of a film star. You know, no film stars.
Nomita: One famous artist is Neel Pawan Baruah, he passed away few days ago and recently he’s gained a lot of recognition. Then there’s your Nani Pujari and Biren Singh, who are famous artists here. Whenever I see their work, I feel very inspired by their artistic work and paintings. So, I try to get some work done through them because I like their work. I always try to incorporate some of their work with mine, whether it’s their painting or some other work. So, I feel a little connected to these people.
Ruby: Oh, so they were your distant relatives too? You mentioned earlier that they were distant relatives as well. So, did you also see their work during your childhood?
Nomita: No, my relative came later, after marriage. But even before that, they were famous. So, it’s not like I saw their work only after marriage. I used to see their exhibitions and actions even before that.
Ruby: So, you were inspired by a painter, by their paintings…
Nomita: And there’s one more that I forgot to mention… Actually, when I was in classes three or four, there was a teacher at my school from whom I learned art. They were also very good painters, so initially, I was very influenced by them. You know, seeing their art, my interest grew. Their art also inspired me a lot, so that was another source of inspiration for me.
Ruby: We are exploring how one art influences another art, how an artist influences a designer. So when you design, somewhere that art is embedded in your subconscious, and it inspires you to find your expression. That’s how the circle gets complete, how that loop gets complete. It’s a journey that we embark upon when we sit down to design something, its manifestation is somewhere in our subconscious, somewhere from our past experiences, and a good piece of work is created. So our effort is to reach people with the work of good artists, which is our foundation. In it, our effort is that the work of good artists reaches many people, and people are inspired by it somewhere. And I was talking to a senior artist, so he said, “Ruby, I usually go to the jury because I get to see a lot of artwork in one place, and it inspires me.” And today, you said the same thing, so it seems that we, artists and designers, are searching for the same folder. So you said that you have been working for the last 20 years, so what has changed in the last five or seven years?
Awareness of people has changed, social media and the internet have become available to everyone. So how do you see these changes, for better or for worse?
Nomita: The changes that have come now, because of them, many things have improved, and many things have deteriorated as well. One thing is, you see, earlier we had to explain everything to the clients, what this is, what this design is, something like that, we had to tell them about every product. But nowadays, they come to you knowing a lot themselves, so there is an advantage to that, that okay, you don’t have to give them a lot of knowledge, you can just say, “I want this, I want to do this,” that’s okay. But sometimes it happens that they want you to keep what they have seen, so that’s a little difficult. When you have already done your design, and he looks at your photo and tells me to design it like this, then that’s not my creativity, right? When you are hiring a designer or architect, give them a little freedom to make it according to them, and if my drawing is not liked by them, then I am ready to give it ten times, I will give different drawings ten times, but if they directly give the drawing of someone else’s design, then it becomes a little difficult for us, it doesn’t feel good that I put someone else’s drawing as my own design. Sometimes it becomes a problem for us, sometimes it happens that yes, they want the same thing, this type of thing, but because of the information they get, there is some benefit that they have knowledge of that thing, so we have to explain a little more to them, it has become easier to handle them a little, that thing is okay, second, one more thing is that nowadays, due to all this new information that has come, we also have a lot of availability of products.
Earlier, we used to see something, but had to bring it by speaking, like in Guwahati, we don’t get the same thing as in Delhi or Mumbai, but sometimes we had seen it from someone before, we had knowledge, but the shop doesn’t have that knowledge, so we had to bring it by speaking. But nowadays, everyone knows about that thing, so at least that thing comes to us, whenever we look for something of this type, then we get that thing, so because of this, a lot has been good, a lot has been bad too. Meaning, on one hand, due to the client’s awareness, the benefit is that they already know what you want to do, like some design, whether it’s wall design, furniture design, so they get some ideas because they have already seen something before, I mean, what is this wallpaper, what is this wall design, another design of this type, so they get some knowledge, so it’s okay that yes, yes, they understand it, they know what is veneer, what is mica, this type of thing that we used to have to explain a lot before, we had to show everything, so it’s good for presentation, but the same thing is that when you see a lot of designs, then you want that thing when you come across it, then it becomes a little difficult because on one hand, we also have to satisfy the client, but when we are designing ourselves, then we also have to keep our own, right? Why should I keep someone else’s design?
Ruby: Sometimes it happens that they bring back some old design of yours and then say, “We want the same thing.”
Nomita: It means, for example, if they have seen some of my work or my previous photos or website, and they say, “I want this exact design you made,” then I say, “Look, if someone else has made something for their home, it’s specifically tailored for them. So I’ll show you something different. If you want, I can show you 10 designs, and you’ll definitely like one. So I try to offer them something different so that the same design doesn’t keep repeating.”
Ruby: So, awareness in clients is a bit sad, a bit pleasant, good, and are you seeing any significant changes in Guwahati’s culture or your culture recently?
Nomita: Yes, indeed. As we used to say that, I mean, if I talk about art, then see, previously, we were limited here, like the artists who were there, they were limited. If we wanted some work from them, like asking them to do a painting for us or design something specific, they didn’t have much time. As I mentioned earlier, they need some time to give us work, not limited time. But now, there are many emerging artists here, like interns, as you mentioned, many artists of that type have emerged. Because now, the art institute here, Bagoda College, and all these have also increased a lot. Even in Guwahati, due to that, there are many recently emerging flyovers. So, if you see, in every flyover, there is artwork, it’s not like just painting it with normal paint. The entire artistic work is being done throughout the flyover. And whatever new government project is there, like here Shankar Dev Art Sector or what is being made for the Assembly, the building and so on, everything has some of your local, I mean, some design theme of ours or artwork is presented. So, this thing feels very good because now, in the road bridge being built here or the flyover being built, in that too, the entire curve, like our bamboo available here, the entire bridge’s theme is made from bamboo work. Then in the entire flyover, every pillar is designed with Assamese motifs, so all these things feel good. Nowadays, whatever art or craft of ours, everything is coming out beautifully. Earlier, it wasn’t becoming so popular, but nowadays, that thing is shown in everything.
Ruby: So, you want to say that in the public spaces that are being created, such as road islands or over bridges, in every aspect of those large projects, now there’s quite a bit of craft being involved in the partnerships between the government, private, and public sectors. Craft has found its place, and art has also found its place, and because of that, there’s also an awareness emerging. So, the positive change in Guwahati is good. Mostly, we talked about your practice, your art, and your relationship regarding that. We discussed the changes you see, and we also talked to the young intern about what you say, what your advice is about that. Now, I just want to say that is there any project that you really want to do from the heart, and you feel like you want to do it in your lifetime? Is there such a project?
Nomita: Yes, indeed. I’m in talks about a type of project, a very proper and large resort where I can implement the theme that I always want to work with. So, the work on a proper Assamese-themed resort is ongoing. If that happens, it will be a dream project for me. I always want to have a resort where I can incorporate the entire local culture, meaning whatever furniture, landscaping, or design is there, it should reflect the local culture. Such a dream project has been a long-standing desire for me, and discussions are ongoing. Let’s see what happens next.
Ruby: No, no, you must understand that project gate. We definitely want you to take on that project because we want to see how you reflect your Assamese culture in the resort space and how you’ll create it. We’re excited about seeing that project and it was really nice talking to you, Nomita. It felt great to hear about your journey, your inspiration, and your journey from Ahmedabad. It was absolutely fruitful and enriching to talk to you. Thank you so much for giving your time, and we hope to fully engage in dialogue with you. We can talk about your dream project, so thank you so much for being with us.
Nomita: Thank You!
