Anamika Ananth
Artist statement
If art correlates to beauty, then design does to the marriage of convenience and aesthetics. In my own work I believe in striking a balance between the two while also grappling with the question of what truly matters in the current climate. My work stems from that idealistic and hopeful crevice which believes that art and design can change people and as an extension, humanity. I enjoy the space in design that is constantly evolving and questioning societal norms and environmental impact. My goal is to create for social change through environmental consideration. I aim to design objects that combine utility and aesthetics and do not promote baseless consumerism. In my work with Sanitary pads I have found that I enjoy the meld of science and design to create pieces that can have some kind of positive impression on at least one person, even if that one person is me. I think the most meaningful work comes from looking at a single point through multiple perspectives and from different angles, my work this semester helped me formulate my own method of design, I enjoyed creating multiple objects relating to the same concept but addressing different aspects of it from a variety of lenses. As a designer, I see the potential to provoke thought through everyday objects. I think that visual culture impacts the way society forms over time, I think that pushing conversation through art and design is not only powerful but impactful. Time periods are often defined by the art, architecture and clothing of the time because society and visual culture at any given time are constantly feeding off of or are reflective of one another.
I like when the visual elements of a piece are enhanced by the message it carries, I like the duality between aesthetics and significance. I like that a color or a symbol can evoke memories or associations simply through placement or scale. I like the ability that the exterior has on the functioning of the internal. As for me, my internal is a constantly flowing, a mostly self-contained hurricane of existentialism, idealism and dreams of momos and rasam rice.
