This 2 week project was done as part of the Digital Print Design course
during my exchange semester in Germany. The project aimed at creating prints out of any inspiration while exploring the technologies and techniques that the institute had to offer its students.
The theme being ICONIC PARADISE, the inspiration I chose was Theyyam,
a very vibrant folk dance of Kerala that was about invoking
liberty and equality in the society.
Hand-drawn motifs of the main iconic headgears were further simplified into
a combination of basic shapes in order to give a much modern and contemporary look as per the European aesthetics.
Using sections of the headgear motif, coordinate patterns were explored.
A combination of bright as well as muted color palettes were used for these
keeping in mind the EU home interiors, adding a bit of story & atypical in their otherwise commonly found patterns.
1. CROWN
2. EYE
3. EAR
4. FACE
5. FACE ||
Theyyam mainly talks about the emotions of the human mind,
anger, happiness, anxiety and suppression.
To better evoke a feeling of these emotions, various distortions have been applied on the main motif to create the following set of motifs.
The colour palette here is again a combination of bright as well as muted colours
keeping in mind the EU home interiors.
warm colours have been considered for the following set of emotions.
Its cool colourways were tried in order to
counter the chaos and tension of the print itself.
6. anxiety
7. supression
8. anger
9. conflict
Distortion || is about translating the swiftness and movements in the dance form onto the headgear motif, in a warm contemporary colour palette.
10. thottam |
11. thottam ||
12. thottam |||
All explorations being digital so far, physical explorations were to be carried out on the main motif using print screens, laser cut stamps and other embossing methods.
Impressions is using the acid-cut metal stamps of the motif
on a mechanical iron press.
Al Foil, rexine, leathers, styrofoam and corrugated sheets were used for pressing.
Folding & pressing foils to create repeats.
Replicating hand feels & textures through print technologies.
Foil print mimics the metallic elements and chains used in the headgear.
Flock print imitates the pom-pom embellishments used in the headgear.
The 9.conflict design was woven in 2 colour weft jacquard in three colourways that I felt was the perfect representation of Theyyam in a European setting.
This course was a great learning experience and gave some really exciting designs towards the end.
How concepts can be translated into multiple material treatments was
a journey worth taking.
