Saturday, December 29, 2012

Coverage by DNA, a national daily :)

DNA Feature! 
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?pgNo=5&edcode=820004&eddate=2012-12-30
Wearable Art - Sananya Chavda
"Adding a quirky touch to boring footwear is 20-year-old Karan Vohra, an engineering student with a flair for the fine arts. The student who started off by designing for himself, began taking orders for shoe art about a year ago, and when he’s not using footwear as his medium, he works on book/journal covers and paintings in charcoal, oil pastels, and acrylics. “My shoes may be considered a style statement but to me it’s another way of exposing people to art. Before starting I spend time interacting with the customer finding out his/her likes and dislikes, inspirations and so on,” says Karan, whose first design was of Argentinian leader Che Guevara. Some of his other works include those based on pop icons Madonna, Pink Floyd, Britney Spears and even the television show The Simpsons.
“The colours are important, infact I think they often speak more than the illustrations. For The Simpsons shoes I used bright fresh colours like blue and orange to bring the characters to life. Even adding coloured laces can make a difference,” he says, explaining that he uses acrylic colours mixed with chemicals to ensure the designs last. Karan is clear about sticking to custom-designed footwear as for him it’s about the creativity behind each piece, and he doesn’t want it to get too commercialised.
Customers can provide the shoes and while some designs are completed in a day, others can take upto a week depending on the complexity. “One of the most challenging assignments was when a customer wanted his shoes based on singer Adele’s song Rolling In The Deep. I incorporated a few lyrics from the song, along with drawings of burning buildings, and shallow waters to capture the meaning behind it,” he says." "-Sanaya Chavda

Coverage by ww.fashionfad.in

My work was also covered by www.fashionfad.in
here is the link
http://fashionfad.in/fashion/catalogue/accessories/content/accessories.aspx?slno=212


Coverage by www.explosivefashion.in

My work is getting a lot pf buzz in the press and I thought I'd share with you all some of it. Even as all you readers, and the buzz you create means the world to me :)
Here is what http://www.explosivefashion.in/blog_post_detail.php?id=886 and Blogger Jasmeen Duggal has to say
"Do you live in denims? Well we have pairs of artfully painted shoes by twenty-year-old Karan Vohra that would jazz up your look!! His artistic bent of mind and creativity is evident in his wearable art project i.e. a collection of painted shoes. 'Art has been my window to the world. My choice of mediums depends on the strength and opacity of the feeling or situation that I am trying to express. It continuously transforms from paper to wood to walls and more recently to shoes' he explains.
Checking out his project, I sensed a whimsical flair in the silhouettes and materials. Each pair of shoes has something unexpected like fun colors or design element and though the designer would say it's intended to be worn (and it sure is!), for him it is a canvas for creating something beautiful. EF Verdict: we think the pairs are chic and functional like any other especially for the teens-twenties' age group (though we will confirm after we wear one!)."- Jameen Duggal 

Friday, December 28, 2012

What does this transgression mean ?

I find myself surrounded by 10 eyes. 10 seemingly shocked eyes, the level and nature of surprise in these eyes varies from mock stares to a sense of shocked realisation colored by defeat.

I amuse myself by thinking that these women who are present in my room in the form of art pieces keep a protective eye over me. Much like the portraits of old headmasters in the Headmasters office in the fantasy-fiction Harry Potter series, they seem to observe my actions with the infinitesimal patience of someone who is immortal. Contrary to this observatory glance is the element of wonder in their eyes, much like in those of a child.

Even as I was caught between restarting my preparation for my exam and writing about this mysterious element, my mind began to wander.I remembered how the characters in my earlier paintings had their eyes closed. This transgression from the closed eyes of the earlier works to the seemingly half open eyes - open with part shock and part wonder - seems to have some hidden meaning.This emotiveness  of the eyes seems to talk about something not only in my paintings but also in my murals and shoes.

I see that the eyes of the characters in the shoes have moved from polite astonishment to deep understanding this is also reflected in the success of these shoes ( If I may say so myself )

The murals on the other hand, a new territory have a diety who has his eyes closed too. Are these closed eyes then a symbol of ignorance or deep understanding.
Perhaps it depends from context to context.

What does this transgression mean ?