According to the theorist Walter Benjamin, the concept of ‘aura’ refers to the authenticity and originality of an art work which is often lost in the modern world where there are technological reproductions of almost everything. So Aura is the unique aesthetic quality of an art work.
Aura 2017, an Art and Design Exhibition organised by Cindrebay School of Design – Trivandrum brought out a marvelous array of innovative ideas and designs. Inaugurated by Architect Sudhir Balakrishna Pillai and Malayalam actress Manju Pillai on the 7th of April, the exhibition extended for a total of five eventful days. Aura was a culmination of weeks of hard work and planning to bring out the skills of fashion and interior designing students. The exhibition was wonderful to behold with exciting mock-up interiors, fabulous fashion displays, Interior models and designs, paintings and many other works of students.
Fashion Fantasy!
The fashion exhibition was extremely captivating with the grandeur of glamorous garments and trendy jewellery clubbed with fashion illustrations, fabric swatches and surface ornamentations. Students gave the guests an excellent insight on product development right from fibre to garment. Surface ornamentation included embroidery, mirror work, fabric painting, mural art, bead work on sarees and kurtis. Different types of fabric materials like kalamkari cotton, crepe, raw silk, chiffon, kota etc and embroidery swatches were exhibited. Famous Ravi Varma painting ‘Hamsa and Damayanti’ done on fabric caught everyone’s eye at once. A male mannequin majestically stood at the very entrance with a jute sleeveless tunic with hood and pants. Historic costumes of ancient Greek, Rome, China, and Victorian style were explicated through fashion illustration sketches. Handmade jewellery designed by the students had a huge demand as they were quite voguish and up to the minute. Most of the designs were made of eco- friendly materials like thread, paper, clay etc. and included Jhumkas, Kundans, antique jewellery glass beads etc. Teracotta jewellery added an ethnic touch to the collection.
Hot Spot
Who would have imagined that a bare classroom would be transformed into a warm and cosy café! Inspired by a colourful, funky, Scandinavian design the diploma students started out by full-fledged concept and design development for their Café. Working right from scratch was not an easy task at all. Hours of manual labour, scanning the city for materials, making furniture, painting walls and recycling waste was all part of the fun. In a week Hot Spot was all set with such an ambience that all who entered lingered for a while. Starting with a fake brick wall (made using thermocol) flanged with thermocol planters and handmade birdcages to comfortable ottomans made out of old tires; each nook had an interesting feature to show off. The reception desk was the centre of attraction with the front bonnet of an ambassador painted in bright yellow. Rusted out metal chairs were up cycled in bright colours and upholstered using waste foam. Two giant bean bags (made by students) and an old trunk turned into a coffee table completed the quirky feel of the café.
Pop Den
Filled with colour and fun – Pop Den was a multi-purpose room meant for leisure and entertainment. The BSc students went all crafty and creative to convert their classroom into a retro inspired retreat. From bottle caps, waste newspaper, old tires to coconut shells- everything was cleverly used to create works of art. A multi-coloured geometric wall painted by the students added an extra visual appeal to the already exciting room. The asymmetrical layout of the space called in for an informal feel in addition to the warm lighting. A bright yellow staircase provided a comfy reading corner with storage beneath and a water fountain next to it gave a soothing sense of trickling water. A beaded partition and a lovely rainbow dream-catcher added a lot of charm and sparkle. Many other DIY interior accessories like painted bottles, decorated pots, a vintage clock, jute rug and lampshades gave depth and personality to the space.
Hungry Hive
Hungry Hive was a food stall designed by students. With a lively yellow theme contrasted with bright blue hexagons Hungry Hive stood up to its name not only in the décor but also the yummy homemade treats. The delicious dishes like paneer vermicelli balls, quail chicken satay, banana roll, bread pizza and authentic Kerala delicacies such as kappa and fish fry. Refreshing drinks like ball grape juice, Shammam shake and buttermilk helped beat the summer heat.
Gazebo Grandiose
The red and white gazebo carefully installed by the students in the free space outside the campus stood out in style and instilled an air of festivity. Completely put up using leftover wood rafters and metal rods the gazebo was elaborately decorated with satin cushions, mirror and string curtains and a hanging butterfly centrepiece. This little set up soon became a favourite photo spot for all the guests.
Aura 2017 also showed a display of design proposals by students and intricate models with all essential details. These designs were all unique in their styles from an eclectic kitchen, a Moroccan bedroom, a warehouse themed boy’s room, a transitional style master bedroom to a traditional Kerala style bedroom. Another major attraction was a display of exquisite mural art, acrylic on canvas, portraits, coffee paintings and nib painting and African wall art done by students. A design timeline showing the history of design and its impact on architecture and furniture was both interesting and informative. It included iconic examples of various art movements like Cubism, Surrealism, Art Deco, Bahaus and works of architects like Philip Johnson, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breur. Last but not the least a large quilled peacock adorned the corridor wall in wonderful colours- a time consuming handiwork.
The exhibition unleashed the creative skills of students and gave them hands on experience in art and designing. For the students Aura gave a lot of self- confidence and creative motivation apart from a sense of accomplishment and some good memories along the way. Whereas for all others who witnessed the event, Aura was an unforgettable sojourn through a realm of beauty, creativity, talent and passion!