Swagatham, Suswagatham - A Bengalooru style home in Virginia!

Hospitality is second nature to any Indian, as I am sure the Aalayam culture aficionados will agree. Hospitality reigns supreme in this sublime South Indian abode, nestled in suburban Virginia, USA. 

With cheer and vitality sparkling in every corner, this home resonates with the warm welcome  (Swagatham) of namma Bengalooru.  Hence, the title of this post - "Swagatham, Suswagatham" : a glorious welcome to the Aalayam readers into this gorgeous Kannada mane, resplendent in ethnic glory. 

Welcome to the home of Gowri and Vikram, whose sweet story has fascinatingly lent itself to making their living space, one to remember!

I met Gowri and Vikram at the local Indian store. Many Indians living abroad will agree that the Indian store, and the local temple is the best place to run into fellow desis living in the vides. :)

The conversation picked up simultaneously with the connection, with our language, our home town, our customs and the fact that we had Twins!! drawing us closer with each passing meeting. It only took one visit to Gowri and Vikrams' home for me to realize that I HAD TO FEATURE IT IN THE AALAYAM HOME TOUR SECTION!!

Gowri and Vikram graciously agreed to get featured and let me stomp around with my SLR taking pictures of their home's beautiful nooks and crannies. And as usual, I had to pester them for their life story. Here's a synopsis of the tete-a-tete !

Tell us a little bit of your story - how did you meet? how did you imagine your home is going to be when you "grew up"?

            My husband and I, we are childhood sweethearts and we know each other since we were 10 years old. He was my next door neighbor and we grew up together as best friends. Our friendship grew into something special and before we knew we were in love. 

As teenagers and in our early adulthood we both loved going for long drives and exploring nature. One more interesting and relaxing past time for both of us was looking for beautiful houses, architecture and landscaping. So we explored various neighborhoods for hours driving around and appreciating all the beautiful ideas and creations. 

We always talked about having a dream house of our own one day and thanks to my dear hubby he brought me to a foreign country which is an amazing land of opportunity, where we could lead a dream life and also bring harmony by balancing Indian culture and American ways.

What makes your home "your home"?

            When we move into a house it’s just a house. For us a house becomes a home when we start a new beginning, bring in new life, capture beautiful memories, joy and laughter, treasure moments, decorate each wall, each corner and each room with our presence in our home. Our best ideas and creations has flown into our house making it our home.

 Does the decor in your home fit the bill for any one particular style - if so, what drove you to that style?

                              I grew up back home with lovable and caring parents who showed me the righteous path of leading a beautiful life. I have brought those family values into a foreign land and put it into use. I am my parent’s reflection, emitting love, following tradition and bringing value systems into my family and into our beautiful home. 

Every artifact and décor in our home is fulfilling my childhood dreams and my beautiful Indian culture. As I started to bring closer those pieces, my vision of completing the puzzle in each room came together as a fusion of Indian culture and American blend.

 How does your personal decor style influence your personality or the other way around? 

                              Our personality has influenced all the décor pieces and styles in our home. We love to collect very unique artifacts for different places. I must say when it comes to choosing a décor for our home my husband and I have a unique quality of visualizing our home with that décor in it. 

All those beautiful pieces which we hand picked together over a period of time and each one of those unique collection reminds us the beautiful memories of our love together in this journey of life thus imprinting memories of different time zones.

 What are your favorite places to shop for your home? Are you budget savvy or would you rather own pieces that truly strike a chord with you even if they are expensive? 

            There is no one particular places that we shop at, we have collected artifacts from different parts of the world. Budget was never a big issue and I must thank my husband for that. Sometimes we might go overboard but at the end of the day we enjoy and relive the beautiful moment we captured into our lives which makes it totally worth the experiences.    

 Where do you draw your online inspirations from - any favorite resources that you can share?

            Speaking frankly and openly I am not a much of an online shopper or a browser. I am old school; I love to window shop and like to visualize that article in our home. 

I want to share one of my wonderful memories here, as I was growing up along with the love of my life. We loved shopping together; he wanted to buy me jewelry for a special occasion. We  went out shopping and I  liked a piece in the first jewelry shop we walked into but guess what? we didn’t decide on it and buy it until  we both visited another 13 more  jewelry places and then coming back to the first one and then brought it. 

Why I wanted to share this with the reader is to express our meticulous search of something which we both agree upon and confirm in our hearts that THIS IS THE ONE…

 Are there influences from your home state  (Karnataka/ Bangalore) in your décor? How do you balance the modern, clean convenience of the western decor to the intricacy of Indian decor? 

            Yes, to some extent our décor reflects our home town, Bangalore. We both call it the melting pot of modern lifestyle and also traditional living. Lots of our décor as been collected from various exhibitions, some exclusive handicraft shops in and around Bangalore. 

The famous Channapatna Gombe (wooden toys) was introduced to our twins to give them a flavor of Karnataka heritage. We have also displayed many heirloom objects in our home to depict our family legacy. 

We have collected relics not just from our home town but also from different states of India. We have furnished our formal living room with traditional Indian furniture giving our ethnicity and warmth for the people how walk into our home. 

We also wanted to bring in western décor and nice even blend with our India décor. 

We have furniture depicting a long deep Amish culture in American history, these Amish craftsmen bring in lineage of tradition into present times. 

Live wood end tables, warm leather couch and excellent choices of wood with detailed craftsmanship used in our dinner room set, and again our fusion of merging American furniture with traditional Amish furniture gave us a taste of rich sophisticated American culture.

We live in Virginia Beach and enjoy beautiful weather and sunny beaches. Our sun room gives us the feeling of coastal living stirring our heart and cleansing our thoughts with its serenity & peace.

 Finally, what is your favorite place in your home to relax, recharge and rejuvenate?

            There is no one specific favorite place in our home. If I had a pick one I would pick them all because every room is filled with beautiful memories as to how all the things came together. When I walk through each room they talk to me and remind me what a cherishing and a blissful journey it has been for me and my family. 

Reminds us about all our hardship in life and also how we, has a team over came that and remolded to make it magnificent memory. Life is beautiful and we as a family live it to the fullest.

Hard not to adore them and their home right? 

Thank you Gowri and Vikram for letting us into your homes, your hearts and your cozy living corners. Aalayam readers and I will forever be grateful!

Lots of love,

Supriya

Art Nouveau (and Filter Coffee!) with Smruthi Gargi Eswar!

Aalayam signifies “a place of residence”, a confluence of ideas and inspiration. And you know that, at Aalayam, we house our musings in the vibrant world of multicultural design, culture, gastronomy and art. We have had abundant opportunities over the years to celebrate the visual and cerebral appeal of Indian culture. We have brought to you inspiring artists who revel in retelling mythos, folklore, history and culinary art in their own individualized ways…leaving their indelible impressions in this impersonal, mercantile, fickle universe. And how enriched have we been with those people. And how thankful are we that they have shared their stories with us!

I am proud to bring to you one more such artist. Smruthi Gargi Eswar.

Smurthi Gargi Eswar is the featured artist on Aalayam. Picture courtesy Ninfa Bito - Manila

Smruthi is a graphic artist, designer and modern art aficionado who is interpreting Indian mythology through her bold retelling via her series "Sister Misfortune". (Follow Smruthi and her work on https://www.facebook.com/SmruthiGargiEswar). Or check out her website smruthigargieswar.com.

I was introduced to Smruthi’s work when I chanced upon one of her graphic art pieces in a very good friend’s home. (Check this link out, I also introduced you guys to it!) I was floored by Smruthi’s bold strokes, use of color, and the visceral story telling embedded deep in the art – the limited edition artwork seemed to captivate, and draw all eyes from its pride of place in the home owner’s abode. I was fortunate enough to get introduced to Smruthi following that intimate experience with her work,  fascinated as I was with her masterful art retelling of modern mythos. And boy was I impressed.

Smruthi's art "APARNA" in Velu Shankar home in Conoor, India

Smruthi’s art adorns home, office spaces, book covers, posters and walls of school buildings! This verdant feature speaks to the versatility and seamless translation that Smruthi infuses into her work.  And it’s not surprising, how organically the art lends itself, as an expression of individuality, as a remarkable statement, in whatever she touches. Smruthi’s design and collaborative space StudioSMU is the wellspring of her ideas and her forever messaging!

Smurthi's studio and creative space

 Smruthi is, I found, down to earth, vivacious and super chill (but with sublime attention to perfection, like all artists!!), even as she is expression shades of fierce feminism. All major pluses for me, an observer of artist personalities and human nature. So I will stop gushing and admiring, and let you meet Smruthi youself! And get inside her gorgeous head.

Here goes!

Shilo Shiv Suleman collaboration Power to Women

Supriya (Su): Smruthi, I personally love mythology. Its visceral, and deep. And you seem to have captured the quintessence of Mythology perfectly in your brand! We want to pick your brain to know more about it! First of all, what got you started?? And why Mythology?

Smruthi (Sm): My interest in Mythology is a rather personal. I feel like the Hindu identity has become a very narrow one. We seem to have forgotten about the diversity even within Hinduism. This series was a way for me to reclaim mythology and study older versions (matriarchal versions) of these stories. Especially in a country where people seem to fall back on what is traditional or cultural to explain their own actions, I think it’s a good idea to understand, that what we think of as timeless stories, are in fact changed versions of earlier tellings. And these earlier tellings, most often than not, stand for very different ideologies. I am interested in these early tellings that tend to be less patriarchal and far more diverse.   

APARNA from the Sister Misfortune Series

Su: Where do you derive your daily inspiration from? What gets you started designing and handcrafting a piece of art?

Sm: It’s hard to put my inspiration to one or two things. It could be sketching a bit, listening to music or reading. Once it comes to my graphic design work at StudioSMU there is more of process. Breaking the brief down, and then letting your mind wander but still very consciously to keep putting these ideas down in visual form. Sketching these ideas and fine tuning them is usually the perfect environment for the better ideas and the final design to surface. 

But with Graphic Art projects I do nothing at all. The idea or the need to discuss something appears quite naturally and the execution as well is more fluid and does not really have process that I apply. But I can see rather clearly the my design practice is a strong influence in how I go about creating my more "artistic" work. 

Wall graphics for a TV Show on NDTV, designed by Smruthi

Su: How do you give a modern slant to traditional representations of Hindu Gods? We see your art adorning classical abodes, and rocking in a modern space as well! So tell us more!

Sm: What interests me is a culture that is living and breathing. A space where we can interact with ideas from the past and be able readdress them from our own points of reference and interest. With Sister Misfortune I am looking at the matriarchal gods from a matriarchal time, in which the woman also known as Prakrithi (nature in Sanskrit) were revered. The adaptation of the Art Nouveau style is a direct outcome of this. 

The focus on natural forms and the placing of nature over all other things. The goddesses themselves seem more like us. I wanted this role reversal as a contrast to the constant obsession for women to be more "goddess like". Woman are layered, complex and flawed. And that is how I see the goddesses too. Also in Indian mythology as with Greek mythology we can see these layers to these gods. All I am doing is letting these complexities surface in  new visual context.

Old city cave graphic series - quirky, eclectic and emphatic

Su: Can you talk to us a little bit about your design work? Do you hold the creative reins of the design, or do you let your customers decide what they would like?

Sm: With Graphic Design work there is a lot of interaction with the Client. At this point most of them come to me because they have seen my work and would like to work with me. I get many different types of clients. Some who have a clear idea about what they want, some who might need a little help getting there while some don't want the hassle of it at all and are quite willing that I take it all on. Most clients I have worked with continue to work with me over numerous projects over time and I personally find a lot of happiness in that. 

Sandbox Collective and The Humming Tree poster

Su: What are your general interests and do you mind sharing how you spend your down time?

Sm: The usual - listening to music, dancing (nothing academic), watching films, or obsessing over a series, enjoying food while avoiding cooking (which i mean to change), day dreaming and analyzing the nighttime ones... things like that.  

DioramaDesign Studio project with Thara Thomas and Nidhi Miriam Jacob Cariappa

Su: Talk to us about Sister Misfortune. What do you aspire to achieve with the series? How, in your opinion, does your art contribute to the preserving of culture? 

Sm: Personally, Sister Misfortune created a space in which I can address stuff I want to. I am hoping that it also creates a platform where we can talk about gender, religion, culture and the existence  of multiplicity in all of them. It’s not so much about preserving culture but about interacting with it. The culture by default is preserved, and kept alive through different ways people find to interact with it.  

SITA at Pimento and Studio Five Architects

Su: Has your creative entrepreneurship changed your everyday perspective - at home, at work and at play?

Sm: I don’t see my artistic work or my work as designer as separate from the rest of me. It’s not really like they influence each other because they co-exist. It’s more like they are a single unit that find different ways of expression. Having said that, yes they have influenced how I look at the world and my life. Definitely helps bring a sense of meaning into things and helps avoid an existential crisis :) 

Getting artsy at Vartur

Su: Smruthi. please talk to us about your collaborations. With Designers, Fashion Houses, Schools and other brands.

Sm: As an artist I have had a chance to collaborate with artists from many different specters. Shilo Shiv Suleman the visual artist, Avril Stormy Unger a movement and performance artist, the well known Ritu Kumar Label the fashion house. 

Avril Stormy Unger Fearless - with APARNA in the background

StudioSMU my design space, on the other hand has worked together with Nidhi Mariam Jacob Cariappa (Diorama Design), Oroon Das, Fish Eye (In Delhi) amongst others. 

Amrish Kumar, Smruthi Gargi Eswar and Ritu Kumar (L-R), Label Ritu Kumar 

These collaborations work at different levels. With Ritu Kumar Label -  I was commissioned to create 4 pieces for them, which were then used on their clothing. The miniseries is called Seasoned and is an of shoot of Sister Misfortune. Ritu Kumar Label went on to launching the series in Delhi. 

StudioSMU's collaborations with Diorama Design are more diverse. We came together on a wall painting project that was done for a government school in Vartur Bangalore and now are working together through a new set of products from SmuSHOP. SmuSHOP will shorty be releasing these products online.  

Diorama Design Studio Collaboration - its time to get real!! And make an impact.

Smruthi, that was refreshing. Like drinking a cup of hot filter coffee. And EVERYONE knows how much I love that!

Smruthi Gargi Eswar smiles for the camera as she contemplates what lies ahead in 2015. Picture courtesy Kashyap

Thank you, you have reawakened my mojo for 2015. Keep doing what you are doing - go higher, do bigger, and inspire better!! We loved having you over at Aalayam and hope you enjoyed working with us too!!! 

Aalayam is privileged to have collaborated with you.

Good luck on all your future endeavors. We stay excited to see what you come up with next.

Love,

Supriya