falguni

interview by vy le

Tell me a little bit about yourself!

I've always been into art and music, and while design was something new and a little bit more different that I had to explore, I fell in love with it when I was doing my Master’s in Design at Emily Carr. 
I’m currently in my home country where it is now the monsoon season. (and we talked about rain for a little bit… She later told me she was a Leo, which I could have sensed through listening to her talking about every existing thing with passionate compassion and love.)

What has motivated you to be featured on FEC this semester?

I saw the people featured on Faces of Emily Carr on social media, and I always found their stories being told through the conversation and composition of the photos are very attractive and glamorous.
I think as artists and designers, we all have something to share that is meant for the world to hear, and it is amazing that we can use every platform through art and media to amplify voices of our community.

You have mentioned at first about a difference you noticed as you learned about design, would you like to talk more on that?

Design is different in a way that I have to take a different approach to it compared to art. Design has a construct, when I design I have to think about design. Art is more flowy, when I make art I tune into my body and the path lays as I go; but for design there’s more principle to everything underneath it. That’s why I love the processes of design, I love to brainstorm and to solve; it’s just like problem solving for me! Through design is my way of delivering something for others, of giving back to the community and people around me. When I want to do something for myself, I make art.

What is communication design to you, in its most basic form?

Communication design, to me, is as basic, simple as clear communication. Its utmost principle is already delivered in the name, meaning you have to build a clear, strong bridge between people and your idea. Think about what you want to say to whom, how you want it to be delivered and perceived. Think about how it would affect them, whether they would understand it or not, whether you have communicated your ideas effectively through your design or not. Think about how to implement this through different graphics and platforms, like games, magazines, books, channels, apps, …
To do research about it. To learn about how to include more people, marginalized people, those of more vulnerable positions, how to let them have a voice in this world and in different spaces. To have empathy, to be sensitive. That is communication design to me.

What has inspired you to follow this path to communication design and pursue it?

I want to make life more comfortable for people through communication.

I was already making art, and I loved it just by it, and by myself. I am overflowing with joy and happiness from what I make for myself as an artist; and so I thought: “Why not extend what I do?” I’m always impressed by what I don’t know, and discovering the unknown possibilities of what I can do for others, that idea inspires and fulfills me at the same time.
Design is a lot about you using the tools you have to define yourself. It is the same softwares, principles and elements but people transpire different ideas. We essentially become different people as we learn to master our tools and push our boundaries with them. 

To change is very human, and it is also a part of communication design.

Can you walk me through your schedule, or anything like a workflow that is aligned with your practices?

I like to walk up early and go for a walk or listen to music. I would make tea with breakfast for myself while putting on a series I like. And then I just work. I paint and sing and make art. I do it as I like really, knowing what I make comes out better when I put my heart and soul to it. 
My schedule is dedicated to my mental health. I do work all the time but I also nurture my emotional body by listening to my favourite music, eating my favourite food, making my favourite tea, meeting people, going to the favourite spaces like the library downtown when I was still in Vancouver. Doing the things I like and I know that are good for me, whenever I want and am able to. I meditate a lot.
I believe that we should not build our experiences as a construct. Construct is only for design, for tools used to elevate our lives. Construct is not for human beings. We shouldn’t have to be ashamed of our special needs to celebrate the parts of ourselves that are alive and breathing.

What’s your favourite places at ECU?

I love watching the changing skies from Loafe cafe in the cafeteria.
Horseshoe bay and Gastown as well, I love strolling through Gastown on many days. There are so many people, their stories and artworks, their reinventing that really caught my attention and made me feel happy.

That’s also why I find myself keep coming back to Gastown. 

In WOO’s Fall 2023 issue, we are exploring the theme of tenderness. Are there ways that you connect to this theme in your art practices, or in life in general?

Tenderness is extremely important in my work and in my relations to my viewers. I think it is a crucial responsibility, tenderness, that everyone should carry for others, since everyone is part of something larger than themself.
When I have an idea I want to express, when I think about something with love, tenderness is automatically the by-product of that. No one likes to be treated harshly. Whatever we do, if we think of love enough, tenderness will come eventually. 

And this goes both ways.

The personality of what I design would not hit somebody like a bucket of cold water. I love to explain to people what I mean, being inclusive, patient and gentle. I use specific tones in every element that I put into my work.
And through that I wish to invite in more tenderness. To invite people to listen, to be open, to not be limited by your beliefs. I think that’s how we should live life.

That’s how we grow.

It seems that spirituality has become a great part of your practices, can you elaborate more on this?

I have a relationship with what I believe in, and that is spirituality. It keeps me at peace, it pushes me towards purpose in life by being open and kind, and this is also the root of my love for communication design through which I can spread this light everywhere it touches. I have been expressing spirituality through forms of words in my recent podcast where I talk a lot about stories, inspiration and honouring life as well.

For Fall 2024, the theme is Dear Diary—a journal-themed exploration of personal reflection, memory-keeping, and creative expression. How does this speak to you?

For me, a diary is something private, a collection of ideas that are hard to express, an outlet for emotions and visions that are not yet ready to be spoken out loud. I’ve always been a writer and a spiritual person, growing up dancing and singing with art and culture in the city of Jammu surrounded by the Himalayas; and so my journal reflects that with writings of my meditations and epiphanies, documenting my vivid dreams in which I travel to different corners of the universe. I find it helpful to look back and see what these symbols can mean to me at another point in the future.

Do you find this being translated into your art and the work that you do? How so?

Of course, it’s basically everything I do! Writing is my way of knowing and keeping in touch with myself. The more I know myself, the more I know the universe, and the better I know what I need, what I should be looking for.

I’m starting a new community studio in my hometown where people can come and do whatever they want with the tools and materials we provide. That is also my vision for the studio, to trick people into coming into an art space, making art by themselves, and end up loving it. Looking back, everything in my life, even hardships and failures and losses and sacrifices have led me to doing this, and I wouldn’t have done this if not for the continuous practice of self love, of finding the spark and keeping it burning.

[I'm a 90s kid who grew up loving art, music, dance, and culture in my hometown Jammu. But this is also a city where art and design is still misunderstood and tabooed in many ways. Many amazing artists I know turned out to do something else not making them happy because of societal pressure, and ended up miserable and depressed in their jobs. Yet art is the only thing that could take me out of mental misery, the only thing that keeps me going. Being mocked and frowned upon, we have to defend art to pursue art.]

A last message you have for us, or anyone reading this?

It was great chatting with you!
And a spontaneous message: Experiment with colours, even if you don’t draw or don’t make art anymore. Use colours for everything.

Sticky notes.
Pens.
Doodles.

Whichever colour looks nice, you start from there. It’s art for therapy for a reason.

Colours can really bring out amazing things, the darkest, the lightest and the most beautiful things.