“I’ve always seen art and design as ways to build empathy; as mediums that help us listen, not just create. As an Art Director, I’ve always been drawn to branding, publication design, and design pedagogy. My goal has been simple: to bring research and sensitivity into the spotlight and to make design more human, more contextual.

I was born in Chennai, but most of my childhood was spent abroad; in the Middle East, the UK, and the US; before I finally returned home in the sixth grade. Growing up, I was always the outsider; the foreign-return kid, the ‘peteru’. My Tamil wasn’t fluent enough, my Hindi didn’t exist, and somehow I never fit into either circle. But that space of not belonging taught me something invaluable; how to observe quietly, read people, and adapt.

It was through football, art, and music that I finally found connection. For a child who had always been between cultures, those became my languages of expression. I found people who were fluid, kind, and curious; artists, caregivers, and seekers; people who didn’t belong to one box but embraced many. They became my home more than any geography ever could.

Football, in particular, was my everything. I dreamt of becoming a footballer; it was how I found identity and community. So when I tore my ACL in 2015, it felt like losing the only language I spoke fluently. But in time, I realised it was never really about football; it was about the joy of connection. That understanding stayed with me, whether I was coaching children or teaching design. Both spaces remind me how deeply we grow when we share what we love.

And then there’s Madras; an ever-evolving project of balance and humility. To me, this city holds strong cultural roots while still inviting new questions, new meanings, and new dreams. It allows people like me to explore, to build, and to belong on our own terms.

Madras, to me, is both anchor and frontier; a place where tradition and curiosity coexist; and as a creative, that’s the most empowering thing of all.”