Kaleidoscope of Kochi

At once serene and bustling, Kochi offers a blend of history and modern India like no other. Discover this creative hub, which is also home to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale with Theresa George, Tinky Mathew, Sunny L Malayil, John Binny Kuruvilla, Annah Chakola, Vinod Mathews, Meera Pyarelal and Lijo John Mathew

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THERESA JOSEPH GEORGE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, THOUGHT FACTORY DESIGN + VIAKERALA

Kochi and the state of Kerala has influenced me in many ways - as a typographer I am drawn to the letterform and script of the local Malayalam alphabet, I am always discovering new ways that it cohabits pieces of visual-either as painted political manifesto on brick walls, or modern adverts on billboards. The baffling transliterations of the language on signages and wayfinding systems always amuses me. Kochi is a city surrounded by various forms of water bodies, and one where it rains half the year - the effect of water and high humidity levels is visible on every surface. I marvel at the way new greens burst out of gaps in freshly laid concrete, sun exposure reveals layers beneath painted surfaces to create organic textures and patterns, that may not have been intentional-my work does reflect these characteristics as well and I do favour tactile design elements including handmade art, manual colouring techniques and usage of textured surfaces. At the core of it, the Kerala aesthetic is quite austere with minimal colour and predominant use of natural materials. These ideas are also predominant in my approach for identity design systems.