Photographs are historic. They deserve to be preserved, understood, and celebrated. Four crowd-sourced projects have been doing this beautifully for years. Let’s see what they’ve been up to lately.

1. Indian Memory Project

Link: http://www.indianmemoryproject.com/

“No matter what he or she does, or how long or short they live, everyone on this planet plays a central role in forming the history of the world”

For starters, Indian Memory Project has an Instagram account. And it contains gems like this:

It is an online visual narrative that traces a history of the Indian Subcontinent, via photographs and letters found in personal archives.

The narrative is contextualised with photographs & letters (contributed by people all over the world). Indian Memory Project is a powerful document of a largely undocumented society and sub-continent.

With personal images serving as evidence, each post on the archive reveals valuable information about people, families and ancestors. Cultures, lifestyles, traditions, choices, circumstances and consequences are revealed in creative ways.

‘Indian Memory Project is a personal memory of the world – a sociological and photographic history, remembered, realised and experienced by its own people.’

It was founded in February 2010, by Anusha Yadav.

Anusha Yadav is a photographer, photo researcher and activist, and book designer. Put differently, she is a maker of memories. She graduated with a degree in Communication Design from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad in 1997.

2. 1947 Partition Archive

Link: http://www.1947partitionarchive.org

The 1947 Partition Archive is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to institutionalizing the people’s history of Partition by documenting, preserving and sharing eyewitness accounts from all ethnic, religious and economic communities affected by the Partition of British India in 1947.

By creating a digital platform for anyone anywhere in the world to collect, archive and display oral histories that document not only Partition, but pre-Partition life and culture as well as post-Partition migrations and life changes.

By collecting, preserving and sharing personal items and artefacts associated with the people's memory of the 1947 Partition. It is a vast undertaking and worth being a part of. Get involved.

3. People's Archive of Rural India (PARI)

Link: https://ruralindiaonline.org/

‘PARI is both a living journal and an archive. It will generate and host reporting on the countryside that is current and contemporary, while also creating a database of already published stories, reports, videos and audios from as many sources as we can.’

PARI, the online archive, is an initiative of P. Sainath, rural reporter, (and former Rural Affairs Editor of The Hindu), writer and journalism teacher. You can find his recent writings on psainath.org

The soul of PARI:

P. Sainath won the 2007 winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Prize, Asia’s most prestigious prize. He has just won the newest global award in journalism: The World Media Summit Global Award for Excellence 2014, in Public Welfare reporting. He was also the first reporter in the world to win Amnesty International’s Global Human Rights Journalism Prize in its inaugural year in 2000.

His book Everybody Loves a Good Drought (Penguin India, 1996), now in its 43rd print was declared a Penguin Classic in January 2013. The book is being used in over a hundred universities in India and abroad.

4. Aditya Arya Archive

Link: http://www.adityaaryaarchive.com/

At Aditya Arya Archive, the mission is to digitise, document, annotate, and preserve photographic archives of India and in India. It is one of the earliest photo-archives in the country and began its journey with the historic collection of the legendary photojournalist Kulwant Roy. In the spirit of its memorable beginning, the archive’s intention is to provide a similar platform for other historic photographic collections about India.

Mahatma Gandhi and Jinnah in a heated conversation; a well-known photograph recently attributed to Kulwant Roy

The Pioneer:

Kulwant Roy was an Indian photographer. As the head of an agency named "Associated Press Photographs", he was personally responsible for several iconic images of the Indian independence movement and the early years of the Republic of India. Born in 1914, Kulwant Roy was raised in Lahore and joined the Royal Indian Air Force, where he specialised in aerial photography.

History in the Making - Gandhi Collection

After being discharged from the RIAF, he returned to Lahore, but moved to Delhi in 1940 where he set up a studio, which later expanded into a full-fledged agency, in the Mori Gate district of Old Delhi. He died in New Delhi in 1984, working till the end; at the time of his death from cancer he was working on the negatives of the Seventh Non-Aligned Movement Conference. The rest as they say is history.

An iconic superstar, Amitabh Bachchan requires little introduction. Everything about Big B is perfect — his array of talents, his personality, the angry young man persona, and that unmistakable gravelly voice.

Still spry as ever, he continues doing what he does best — entertain. In turn, his fans pay tributes in their own way, and on his 73rd birthday, we thought we’d pick out some of the best artistic ones for you.

Here’s wishing you a happy birthday, Bachchan saab!

1. Painting

By EF Ludmila

2. Drawing

By Pankaj Bhambri

3. Wall Mural

By Ranjit Dariya

4. Illustration

By Graphicurry

5. Pencil Sketch

By Alamgir

6. Rangoli

By Pramod Arvi

7. Oil Painting

By Gitanjali Sood

8. Sand Sculpture

By Sudarshan Pattnaik

9. Portrait

By Parag

10. Fibreglass Sculpture

By Arun Kumar

11. Pencil Lead / Chalk Sculpture

By Sachin Sanghe

12. Realism Digital Portrait

By Vivek Mandrekar

Final output of Realism Portrait by Vivek

13. Anamorphic Art

By AS Virdi

Blogger Bio:

Rameez Shaikh is a twenty-two year old writer. With a degree in journalism to his name, he’s an aspiring author with an absolutely astounding admiration for alliteration. Leisure propels him to read, dance, pen fiction and gloat about himself in third person. On weekdays, he works as a features writer. On weekends, he’s a Manchester United fan.

Meet-ups are meant to be memorable, fun, and productive. Lakshya - Australia was one such meet up that one of our clients, The Moving Heads, was organising for Bajaj Finserv. Lakshya – Australia was a big deal for Bajaj Finserv and The Moving Heads. And we, at Engrave, were so happy and proud to play a small part in making it unforgettable – by conceptualizing, designing and manufacturing these photo-frames inspired by the sights of Australia.

These table-top photo-frames, crafted by Engrave, were given out as keepsakes for all participants – and we are sure the memories will be cherished for years to come.

If you like what we did for The Moving Heads and Bajaj Finserv, we’d be more than happy to do something memorable for you. Write in to shibani [at] engrave [dot] in and we’ll work with our Product Wizards to come up with some cool ideas for your organization.

Previous Editions: A for Abstract Art | Z for Zeng Jing | M for MF Husain | C for Caravaggio | F for Football | S for South Africa

“You and I have passed through many births, Arjuna. You have forgotten, but I remember them all.” – Quote from the Bhagvad Gita

Mankind is at it again. War is in the air, yet again. Then again, it’s a fact of life that no day goes by in this world when some part of the world is not seeing war. And on that warring note, let’s take a fresh look at six well-known paintings that document what must be one of mankind’s favourite pastimes.

1. The Battle of San Romano

Set of three paintings by the Florentine painter Paolo Uccello showcasing events of the Battle of San Romano between Florentine and Sienese forces in 1432. They are significant as revealing the development of linear perspective in early Italian Renaissance painting. The paintings are in egg tempera on wooden panels, each over 3 metres long. The panels were commissioned by a member of the Bartolini Salimbeni family in Florence sometime between 1435 and 1460.

Sidelight: Egg tempera, commonly known as tempera, is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder medium (usually a glutinous material such as egg yolk or some other size).

2. The Surrender of Breda

Spanish Golden Age painter Diego Velázquez painted the Surrender of Breda. It was completed during the years 1634–35, and inspired by Velázquez's visit to Italy with Ambrogio Spinola, the Genoese general who conquered Breda on June 5, 1625. It is considered one of Velázquez's best works.

Golden nugget: The Spanish Golden Age (Spanish: Siglo de Oro, Golden Century) is a period of flourishing in arts and literature in Spain, coinciding with the political rise and decline of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty. It begins no earlier than 1492, with the end of the Reconquista (Reconquest), the sea voyages of Christopher Columbus to the New World, and the publication of Antonio de Nebrija's Gramática de la lengua castellana (Grammar of the Castilian Language). The last great writer of the period, Pedro Calderón de la Barca, died in 1681, and his death usually is considered the end of El Siglo de Oro in the arts and literature.

3. Consequences of War, also known as Horror of war

Oil paint on canvas painted between 1638-1639 by Peter Paul Rubens. It was painted for Ferdinando II de' Medici. Although commissioned by an Italian, art historians characterize both the work and the artist as Flemish Baroque. It serves as a commentary on a European continent ravaged by the Thirty Years' War.

‘Mars, the god of war, marches from the Temple of Janus encouraged by the Fury of War, Alecto, while Venus attempts to restrain him. A woman on the left personifies unhappy Europe; on the right, Alecto is accompanied by two monsters who symbolise the Plague and Famine; beneath are personifications of Harmony, Fecundity, Maternity and Charity, all who thrive under peace.’

4. The Death of General Wolfe

A well-known oil painting by Anglo-American artist Benjamin West depicting the death of British General James Wolfe during the 1759 Battle of Quebec and the Seven Years' War. The painting was completed in 1770. West made an additional and nearly identical painting of the same scene for King George III in 1771.

5. Guernica

Guernica is a mural-sized oil painting on canvas by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso completed by June 1937. The painting, which uses a palette of gray, black, and white, is known as one of the most moving and powerful anti-war paintings in history. Standing at 3.49 metres (11 ft 5 in) tall and 7.76 metres (25 ft 6 in) wide, the large mural shows the suffering of people, animals, and buildings wrenched by violence and chaos.

The painting is believed to be a response to the bombing of Guernica, a Basque Country village in northern Spain, by German and Italian warplanes at the request of the Spanish Nationalists. Upon completion, Guernica was displayed around the world in a brief tour, becoming famous and widely acclaimed, and believed to have helped bring worldwide attention to the Spanish Civil War.

You can buy a giclee re-print of the painting on canvas here.

6.The Mahabharata

And finally, six is something different on something ancient, something more modern, something more provocative, something thought-provoking, something special, and something so Hussain. The Mahabharata (from the Epic series) by MF Hussain.

It took MF Husain just two months to paint the 29 canvases that make up his famous Mahabharata series.

It’s no secret that every business in the world, regardless how big or small, once had a rather humble beginning. What’s surprising though, is how many businesses are born thanks to that one brave soul looking to break the monotony of a mechanical office routine.

Ruchi and Karan, hard at play

Meet Karan and Ruchi Mehta — a husband and wife team that does everything from product development, to marketing, and even business development for their beloved TMill - a company that blends art and fashion to produce fantastic quirky T-shirts. “Well, not everything. We do have our subordinates who help us make our T-shirts, without whom there would be no TMill,” pipes a modest Ruchi, one half of the amazing duo that runs the show.

The Better Half - Ruchi

A BMM graduate with specialisation in advertising, Ruchi’s quite the jack of all trades. Apart from interning at a photography publication (she also holds a diploma in photography), she has worked as a creative producer, a voice over artist, an assistant director, a stylist, and more recently, as a preschool teacher. Throw freelancing as a candid photographer and an entertainment blogger for over five years into the mix, and it’s not really difficult to tell that she likes to keep herself busy! “Since a year, though, I’ve been working with Karan, and we’re bringing up TMILL, our first baby, together,” she says. A technical and creative duo, Ruchi says their aim is to make the kind of clothing they would love to wear themselves.

The Other Half - Karan

The other half of the duo is Karan Mehta, a commerce graduate who also holds a diploma in sound engineering. Fed up with the incessant routine of ridiculous schedules and long nights, he thought it best to start his own company, be his own boss, and finally have a (social) life. “TMill is the brainchild of my sister Shivani and I,” says Karan. “We built on the idea when we realised there weren’t many brands that offered the kind of quirky T-shirts we loved to wear. “The aim was to provide top-notch clothing, while at the same time present designers with a canvas to speak their mind — and just like that, TMILL was born.” Karan says they have talented and proficient freelance designers on board, whose designs are curated, and only if chosen, are they printed.

So far, so good. But what’s next for TMill?

“We create T-shirts for people who love to travel and watch movies and television shows. And of course, those who understand sarcasm and possess a good sense of humour!” says Ruchi. “Our immediate plan is to get more incredible designers on board — because quite frankly, the design is an important link that helps us connect to our customers. We also want to have our own online presence, and get the word out as much as possible.”

Karan signs off by adding, “Our long term plan, though, is to make the best quality clothing and bags for adults, children, and dogs — and to be a brand big enough to sell all over the world!”

They currently sell 100% cotton T-shirts starting at a more than reasonable price of Rs. 699 and Rs. 799, and have plans to introduce super comfy hoodies for the upcoming winter season as well.

You can learn more about TMill and their wonderful products on their page here.

The first leg of the Bacardi NH7 weekender is kicking off in Shillong on the 23rd and 24th of October. In addition to the music, food and festive vibe, there’s a chance for you to shop till you drop at The Maker’s Market powered by Engrave.

Expect to be amazed by a wide range of exceptionally creative products. From hand-woven baskets and beaten metalware, to funky tees, fashion accessories, jewelry, bags, art, home décor and more, this smorgasbord of unique products from a variety of makers will appeal to different tastes and design sensibilities of all festival goers.

Here’s a line up of what you can expect at the maker’s market so make sure you carry some extra dough and hit up your favourite maker early.

Engrave

Engrave aka ‘The Maker’s Market’, is an online marketplace for artists, craftspeople, DIYers and hobbyist entrepreneurs across India, with a happy mix of both rural and urban makers. Apart from our wide range of exceptionally creative products, we’ll be representing our makers who cannot make it to the festival. Look out for funky tees, fashion accessories, plaques, art, cool coasters and more

Check Out The Maker's Market here.

Kanvas Kloset

Self described as an artist, photoholic and creator of junk, Kanvas aims to nurture the art of hand painting and spread joy through the verve of colours and their intricate designs. Look out for their uber colourful and stylish hand painted footwear, tees and bags.

Find them here.

Tmill

Not just makers of T-shirts but collectors of stories. TMill believes in art, fun and sometimes believes in Gotham city, Santa’s little helpers, Tooth-fairies and the Rabbit hole. So, we put them all in a giant -super blender and mixed them to make T-shirts that high-five your soul!

Find them here.

Upbeatz

Look trendy and stay with fresh with their uniquely styled sunglasses with vibrant frames and pop colours and funky and frivolous bath and body range that features bath gels, relief balms, lip balms, moisturizers, hand soaps, face masks, body scrubs, eye packs and more.

MC SID Razz

What started as an original comic strip now extends to their own line of merchandise with an endevour to redefine ‘The Urban Hipster’ with cool, affordable pop culture themes. Look out for wall clocks, snap backs , wayfarers, notebooks, T-shirts, posters and a lot more fun stuff.

Find them here.

Tandav

Believers in love, peace and respect for all. Bring back the psychedelic, hippie, retro era with Tandav’s T-shirts, jewelry, accessories, gift items, Ultraviolet posters, tea coasters, fridge magnets, key-rings, donbadges.

Il and Lo

Support local artisans when you buy from Il and Lo's collection of products indegenous to Nagaland. Their wide range of traditional and ethnic products include tribal jewellery, handicrafts, art, clothing, books and home decor.

Alto Vida

Alto Vida meaning the high life presents uniquely original fashion jewelry, accessories, special festival accessories and more for men and women! Live the high life... Live Alto Vida!

Find them here.

Vou Vista

Boho-chic apparel and accessories, plus the little things in life made with a smart, sustainable design that incorporates comfort & style.

Bias

BIAS, brings you clean and comfortable 60s style apparel, reinvented to fit today's time. Look out for their range of hand dyed clothing, along with their experiments in natural fabrics. At the Weekender, you can also discover their free spirited accessories made out of wood, stone, feather, beads and raw metal.

Find them here.

Smuff

Funky range of headgear including bandanas, headsox, buffs, head wraps and more in various designs to suit the styles of all festival goers. These can be sported any way you like!!

Find them here.

Beautiful Things by Sarah Lee

Dress up your room with intricate dreamcatchers, courtesy Beautiful Things. They even have earrings for the ladies. Perfect festival fixture.

Find them here.

The Ikat Story

Explore garments designed with patterns that have been carefully distilled over centuries, echoing the collective voice of Indian handicraft. Every piece is one-of-a-kind, with a unique story to tell. Choose from a range of bikini tops, bomber jackets, shorts, crop tops, summer dresses, button down skirts and a lot more.

AnaRae

Reintroducing traditional crafts in a fresh, cool and sexy avatar. Watch out for AnaRae’s range of jewelry, scarves & accessories handcrafted by artisans from Rajasthan and Kenya.

Organic Love

Focused on sustainable living, Organic Love promotes organic food, beauty and homecare products and handicrafts from across North East India. Look out for their fab bamboo and paper handicrafts, hand-woven tops, dresses and skirts and wide range of organic teas.

Artshaala

Beautiful art by the young and talented artist Madhumita Ghosh. The Shillong based artist believes that life is a canvas that should be splashed with colours.

Astronomia

It’s not a music festival without a funky accessory - preferably with LED lights. Presenting Astronomia Shoppe, who do party bling in style. Whether you’re looking for hats, stickers, glow bands and spectacles, they’ve got you covered.

The Glu Affair

Promoting art, art-movements and artists from across the globe by blending art with fashion, The Glu Affair crafts sublime clothing collections by whisking together yummy designs from designers across the planet with the finest fabrics and whole lot of love for clothes.

Roohi Clothing

ROOHI Clothing is a social enterprise passionately working with traditional textiles and crafts and help empower local weavers and artisans of NE India.

PETA

See the world through the eyes of a chicken with a first-of-its-kind virtual reality experience. “I, Chicken” immerses the user in an interactive 360 degree virtual reality where they discover firsthand what it’s like to be a chicken - roosting in a tree, watching your chicken friends socialize and enjoying a dust bath.

Your Engrave store has made its first sale, now what? Not only will this post will guide you through the process of fulfilling your order, but we've also compiled some ideas that can amp up your popularity among patrons.

1. Communicate

» Be gracious and pen down a thank you note to the customer that goes out with the order! Your first customer is always special and you should let them know of it.
» Also, in case the product isn't ready to ship immediately, do send an order timeline to our team maker@engrave.in and we will keep the customer up to speed on the status.
» And finally, when you do ship out the product, you may want to take a page out of CD Baby’s book and send a tongue-in-cheek letter. This particular mail from CD Baby was a huge conversation-starter.

2. Dress it up

» Ensure the packaging is absolutely gobsmacking. We've seen dozens of cases, when customers have given a 5-star rating purely on the basis of some beautiful and unique packaging.
» A case in point is Pratha Naturals - which sends their soap in small jute sacks which are tied close with a rope. The ropes also tie together paraphernalia with information about the ingredients of the soap and how each of them is beneficial to one's well-being. That apart, it also carries information about other products that the customer could consider for future purchase. Pictures of the packaging can be seen here.

3. Ship ASAP

» Remember, shipping is a product feature. Quicker deliveries (less than 2 days) tend to draw in much more customers; and you'll always hear people talking about how quickly they received a parcel after their online purchase.
» So if you’ve signed up with us for Engrave Shipping, ensure you arrange for pickup ASAP.
» If you're shipping by yourself, pick a reliable courier service with online tracking mechanisms that can be shared with customers.

4. Feedback

» The best way to grow is to ask for feedback. And most customers will be more than glad to share their thoughts with you regarding the product they receive. As a practice, we ourselves solicit feedback from all your patrons and will pass the same back to you.
» Treat poor reviews as an opportunity to improve your business while positive reviews will provide validation to other customers when they are browsing your products.

These are a few ways we thought you could keep your after sale game strong. If you have observed any other best practices, feel free to share them with us!

Diwali is right around the corner and, as a maker this means it’s that time of the year when you boost sales through the roof. All your potential customers are trolling the interwebs looking for gifting ideas and items. In the flurry that is the Internet, how do you make your product stand out? Easy. Make it giftable. How? Here’s the solution.

1) Plan Ahead

Develop a line of products, especially curated for Diwali. And while creating products that are giftable, you need to keep in mind that a product that is a gift should be something that finds its way in someone’s life easily. Make sure you have access to a sizeable inventory in the event that you receive a bulk order.

2) Price Points

While curating this line, keep the price points in mind. Diwali gifts seldom exceed the 3000 Rupee mark. So make sure you account for all overheads, profit margins etc, without going over the standard price line.

3) Connections

Most of our relationships, whether work or family, are strengthened by our inside jokes and silliness. So create something that is relatable and makes someone smile. Adding this will give the gift a more personal element.

4) Presentation

Presentation is key. Cliché much? Clichés become clichés because they’re true. Don’t shy away from creating beautiful packaging. Giving someone a gift is an experience in and of itself. Seeing their face light up on being presented a fun present is close to priceless. Therefore, you must make it an experience one cherishes. Offer your customer the option of gift packaging in your Engrave Store product description and show them visuals of what the packaging would look like.

5) Product Descriptions

It is absolutely imperative that you inform your customers that you are creating a product line for Diwali. Add the word “Diwali” in your product description, so customers searching for Diwali products find you instantly. Your product description is the crux of your sale. It’s what does the talking for you. So make sure it is well written, with all the essential keywords in it.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get conversions this festive season. Step up the gifting quotient of your products with these tips and maximize this Diwali!

Teams that work well remember to celebrate the stars in the team. Our clients Honeywell recognise this and remember to celebrate their stars, with a little help from us.

We created a line (~500 nos.) of gorgeously handmade, deep-engraved wooden plaques that helped Honeywell shine the light on the ones (and the stellar achievements) that made Team Honeywell star performers.

The plaques our design team came up with were so liked, so apt, and so classy, Honeywell requested us for another round (~200 nos.) of plaques. Thank you, Honeywell. It felt nice to be so appreciated.

At the end of the day, it was awesome to be made such an integral part of the Honeywell success story. Truth be told, there is a great joy in succeeding together.

Do write in to us if you are looking at awesome ways to celebrate the special achievers in your workplace.

If you like what we did for Honeywell, we’d be more than happy to do something memorable for you. Write in to shibani [at] engrave [dot] in and we’ll work with our Product Wizards to come up with some cool ideas for your organization.

Engrave is home to thousands of sellers all vying for attention, so it’s up to you to make your products sparkle, shine…and sell!

With the Ecommerce space flooded with innovative products, you need to make your product stand out among the flurry. And seeing as your prospective consumer cannot touch the product, the best way to familiarize them with your products is by giving them the closest experience to actually touching the product. In order to do this you should photograph your product beautifully.

Ecommerce is extremely visual. There is only so much you can do with your product description. But a picture is worth a thousand words. The most effective way to grab the attention of your client is by photographing your products strategically and beautifully, all at once.

While photographing your products, bring their best quality to the forefront. Take pictures that highlight the best features of your wares, like the craftsmanship, the intricate details etc.

Sherlock Holmes Plaque

Beautifully composed pictures have a certain aspirational quotient attached to them. Not only do you have to sell the product, you also have to sell the lifestyle.

Kitchenware by Bulbul Sarkar

Taking great pictures shows confidence. By this we mean that if you show your consumer that you have nothing to hide, this will build their confidence in your brand and in your products. If a consumer sees a shabbily photographed image, it gives them the impression that you don’t have enough confidence in your brand or your products, and will move on to better looking products.

T-shirts by Tmill

So go ahead and start conceptualizing a theme for your products and get clicking. You need to add some sass, quirk and snazziness to your product images.

Previous Editions: A for Abstract Art | Z for Zeng Jing | M for MF Husain | C for Caravaggio | F for Football | S for South Africa | W for War

Artists in India are rising to make a strong political statement. In a nutshell, they’re returning government sponsored awards, and they’re doing it in disturbingly large numbers. This is their way, they say, of standing up to what in their opinion is a rising tide of intolerance in India. Not everyone agrees with them. But that’s a different matter.

What’s more interesting to this blog is how artists and art can make a political statement. Let’s begin this provocative journey in a small way with five pieces of contemporary art that this blog finds particularly stimulating.

After that, you may dig deeper and follow your interests if you so desire.

Vik Muniz and his pictures of junk

Using photographs to create images out of all kinds of junk, his creations raise questions about us and our junk. — outmoded exercise bikes, crushed soda cans, rusty chains and old tires — Muniz creates works after mythological subjects by famous painters, from Cranach’s Apollo and Diana to Bourguereau’s Orestes Pursued by the Furies.

Peter Boswell, curator of Muniz’s current retrospective, notes, “Muniz changes materials, medium and methods the way Picasso changes styles: to make things new, to see with new eyes”.

Widely collected, Muniz’s work is in the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Art Institute of Chicago; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; the Daros Foundation, Zurich; and the Tate, London.

The way we see it, this junk is definitely worth investing time and money in.

Pablo Picasso on Politics

"What do you think an artist is? An imbecile who only has eyes if he's a painter, ears if he's a musician, or a lyre in every chamber of his heart if he's a poet – or even, if he's a boxer, only some muscles? Quite the contrary, he is at the same time a political being constantly alert to the horrifying, passionate or pleasing events in the world, shaping himself completely in their image. How is it possible to be uninterested in other men and by virtue of what cold nonchalance can you detach yourself from the life that they supply so copiously? No, painting is not made to decorate apartments. It's an offensive and defensive weapon against the enemy."

‘The Charnel House was Picasso’s most overtly political painting since Guernica of 1937 (now in the Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid). It was inspired by newspaper war photographs, the tones of which are reflected in its sombre black–and–white palette. While Guernica, a commentary on the Spanish Civil War, may be seen as signalling the violent beginning of World War II, The Charnel House marks its horrific end.’

Imran Qureshi’s The Roof Garden

The Roof Garden is the first large-scale installation in the United States by the artist Imran Qureshi (born 1972, Hyderabad, Pakistan). As they did in the Mughal era, miniatures remain for Qureshi a vehicle for conveying complex political references within the parameters of their small dimensions and refined imagery.In recent years Qureshi has transplanted his landscapes from the boundaries of the page to specific architectural environments.

Three years ago Qureshi began to use red acrylic in his installations in response to brutal bombings in Lahore. Such cruelty striking so close to home provoked a deep response in his work. "Yes, these forms stem from the effects of violence," he said of his visceral blooms of paint. "They are mingled with the colour of blood, but, at the same time, this is where a dialogue with life, with new beginnings and fresh hope starts."

A short video on The Roof Garden Commission:

Conflict nation

Conflict Kitchen only serves food from countries with which the United States of America is in conflict. We’ll let you figure out the answer to food from how many countries that makes on the Conflict Kitchen menu.

Each Conflict Kitchen iteration or avatar is augmented by events, performances, publications, and discussions that seek to expand the engagement the public has with the culture, politics, and issues at stake within the focus region The restaurant rotates identities in relation to current geopolitical events.

Pretty arty and pretty damn political, too! We can’t help but wonder if the local scene would allow something an Indian version of this to flourish in Mumbai these days. Think about how varied the food would be. Think about how many minorities is India in conflict with – so many minorities, so many issues, so much flux, so many ideas, so much art, and so many kinds of food.

Meanwhile, you might want to check out Conflict Kitchen’s current political celeb-nation and menu here. Clue: It’s stimulating, spicy, and pretty explosive. http://conflictkitchen.org/

Holy cow!

Chris Ofili’s work is significant for the lawsuit it spurred against the Brooklyn Museum, brought by the easily offended Mayor of New York at that time (1999), Rudolph Giuliani.

Ofili's painted a black Virgin Mary, deemed "disgusting" by Giuliani—it was composed in part of elephant dung, which was inspired by the time Ofili spent in Zimbabwe. It also used clips of pornography, using close up cut-outs of women's genitalia to represent butterflies.

At the very least, this painting raised questions about the politics of medium. Perhaps it was the collision of the sacred with the profane that so many found so uncouth. The painting was eventually damaged by an offended Catholic named Dennis Heiner, who smeared white paint over the canvas. He was given a $250 fine.

Sounds familiar, India?

Aniruddh Mehta, a.k.a. The Big Fat Minimalist is one of those artists, whose work titillates your eyes and tickles your brain. His artwork is an intriguing blend of shapes, colors and lines. Raised in Mumbai, a city bogged down by the flurry and hubbub, he uses his art to escape from it all. “Art is space”, says Aniruddh, who explains his take on art.

“Not so big, not so fat”, is what his bio on Instagram reads. He is an eccentric and eclectic artist and his work is a confluence of chunky shapes, rich tones and abstract line work. He uses his art to give him “room to breathe”, in this city that is constantly swarming. Influenced by “Techno Mandala”, his pieces are open to interpretation, based on the viewer. He designs commercially too and has converted his designs into t-shirts. And we’re extremely impressed by the way he illustrates.

Follow him on Instagram to stay updated on his cool and quirky artwork. 

Once upon a time in the recent past, an agency called Mindbird Design Studio asked us to prototype clocks for big and mighty HPCL. And they challenged us to turnaround 3 different concepts in a small matter of 3 days.

Challenge accepted!

It was time to get to work. From the selection and procurement of materials to the different machining processes to the assembly of the finished product, we did it all for Mindbird and HPCL in time, custom-designed. What’s more, we can do this and more for your company and clients, too.

Some pictures explaining the different prototypes:

1. Clock with custom-made square hands for hours and minutes - in colours that represent the brand.

2. Clock inspired by a beehive - representative of a committed workforce.

3. Progressive clock representing a growth cycle

Do you need to get something made? Simply write in to shibani [at] engrave [dot] in with details of what you want made and when, and Engrave will do it for you.

Pictures of folks at the Engrave office having some fun with the Mustachio series of plaques.

Pictured: Charlie Chaplin Plaque.

Pictured: Groucho Marx Plaque.

Pictured: Mark Twain Plaque.

Pictured: Salvador Dali Plaque.

Familiar with the term upcycling? Well, if you aren’t, you’re in for a treat. Upcycling is the art of recycling a material in such a manner that the resultant product is more valuable than the original. Paaduks is a social enterprise that does exactly that.

“At Paaduks, we produce handcrafted footwear made of natural cotton fabric and jute,” says Jay Rege, co-founder of Paaduks. He continues. “The soles, on the other hand, are made from upcycled rubber taken from discarded tires, used conveyor belts, old rubber mats and so on.” Jay also adds that up-cycling of discarded rubber does not involve any chemical processes.

But that’s not the end of it — Paaduks is more than that. The wonderful people at the enterprise run a cobbler welfare initiative for their craftsmen, under which they remunerate them fairly for their hard work by paying about three times the average industry standard.

Paaduk's master craftsmen at work

“We also ensure that their children get access to quality education,” says Jothsna Rege, the second co-founder. “Over time, we hope our profits will enable better healthcare for a sustainable life in cobbler communities.”

To run such a venture is no easy task, but Paaduks has a wonderful core team that makes life easier. While Jay and Jothsna are in charge of marketing and finance respectively, Jidnyasa Butley (Sales and Operations), Carol D’Souza (Designer), and Mohammad Nasim (Production) handle the other major departments with aplomb.

Jothna and Jay (center), surrounded by the Paaduks team

But how did it all begin?

“Well, it all started in 2013 when we stumbled upon an article that discussed the possible reuse of scrap tyres as footwear soles. Excited about this possibility, we decided to give it a shot. Looks like it worked out just fine,” says a grinning Jay.

Apart from the business aspect of it, Jothsna says that working with the cobblers made them sympathise with the multifarious socio-economic problems they are often plagued with. “They are constantly exploited by retailers and wholesalers who pay them a meagre amount for long hours. Coupled with delayed payments, it sends them into a limbo of never-ending debt.”

She also adds that unhygienic living conditions and lack of quality education only compound the problems. “Hence at that stage, we took a conscious decision to address these issues and make them the priority for our venture.”

In today’s money-grubbing world, for an organisation to feel this strongly about both the environment and humanitarian causes is genuinely refreshing.

Beautiful and super comfortable, upcycled footwear from Paaduks

But where does Paaduks go from here?

"People who love handmade and eco-friendly products would love our merchandise,” says Jay. “Similarly, those who appreciate the hard work put behind designing the quality footwear and our Cobbler Welfare Initiative would certainly love it too.”

The aim above all, Jothsna says, is to provide their hardworking cobblers with regular and sustainable income. “Eventually, we want to provide cobbler families with great healthcare facilities.”

At the moment, though, she says their marketing and sales efforts are focused on reaching a much wider audience.

“Ultimately, want to spread the love for handmade fabric shoes to people worldwide. We’d love nothing more than to see people all over the globe wearing Paaduks!”

You can learn more about Paaduks’ wonderful work on their page here.

Blogger Bio:

Rameez Shaikh is a twenty-two year old writer. With a degree in journalism to his name, he’s an aspiring author with an absolutely astounding admiration for alliteration. Leisure propels him to read, dance, pen fiction and gloat about himself in third person. On weekdays, he works as a features writer. On weekends, he’s a Manchester United fan.

On most occasions, paper certificates given to employees gather dust in a drawer or a folder. On other occasions, they get folded and creased and finally end up in the bin.

The folks at Mondelēz India threw us a challenge - 'take our A4 paper certificates and make them look out-of-the-ordinary in a cost-effective manner.' The client specifically asked us not to opt for any of the cheap fibre frame available off-the-shelf.

After a couple of sessions of brainstorming, we decided to fabricate a frame using acrylic. We used three different sheets to fabricate the frame - two of them coloured - inspired by the colours of Mondelēz' logo; and then a clear acrylic sheet for the front protection. We added a stand at the back for table-top display.

And voila! The framed certificate paints a very pretty picture on all the recipients' desks. Speaking of which, we can do something similar (or different) with your paper certificates too. Just share your requirement and the Engrave team will get cracking on it.

Note: Do check the newly launched Engrave - Awards & More section on

The city of Mumbai is more than just a commercial hub. Culturally rich and historically significant, it has scores of untold stories to share over its centuries of existence.

Some of these stories have been preserved in one form or another in the many museums that call the island city its home.

We’ve listed down some of the best ones for your perusal.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya / Prince of Wales Museum

Formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum, it was designed by George Wittet — who, incidentally, was also the brains behind the Gateway of India. Apart from the gorgeous architecture, the museum is known for harbouring artefacts from the Mughal empire, as well rare heirlooms from Europe, Nepal, Tibet, Japan, and China.

Google Maps Link

Ratan Tata Sculpture at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya / Prince of Wales Museum

Mani Bhavan

If you’re a history buff, there’s no better way to get a firsthand experience of Mahatma Gandhi’s transition from childhood to adulthood than by visiting Mani Bhavan. Apart from serving as a memoir for the Mahatma with his many personal items on display, it also demonstrates how Mumbai (then Bombay) was run under the British Raj -- and how Mahatma used it to launch various political movements of his own.

Google Maps Link

Michelle & Barack Obama at Mani Bhavan

National Gallery of Modern Art

Museums dedicated to art might be a bit of a rarity in the city — but National Gallery of Modern Art is definitely your best bet. The gallery, which was established half a century ago, hosts over 17,000 works of art — curated all the way back from the 19th century, till today.

Google Maps Link

The Homi Bhabha collection at Mumbai's National Gallery of Modern Art

Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum (formerly the Victoria and Albert Museum)

Situated near the Byculla Zoo, Dr. Bhau Lad Museum is Mumbai’s oldest and most cherished edifice. Formerly known as The Victoria and Albert Museum, it primarily focuses on the culture of Mumbai, doubling up as a home to relics from all over India and the globe. The museum has the most beautiful interiors that you would have seen in a colonial building - so it is well worth a visit just for that.

Google Maps Link

Victorian Interiors of the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum

CST Heritage Gallery & Railway Museum

If you’re fascinated by the CST train station, you’ll love their heritage gallery. Bombay was the first city in India to get trains — and the rich history is well documented in the form of model trains, old tickets, the marvellous structure itself.

Google Maps Link

BEST Transport Museum

Much like the trains, BEST buses were one of the first means of transport for the public in the city of Mumbai. Old bus tickets, miniature models, and a full-fledged model of the 1938 version of the double decker bus is what's on offer here!

Google Maps Link

RBI Monetary Museum

If you love collecting rare coins, the RBI Monetary Museum might just be your wonderland. A tour of the museum is an education in itself — tracing the history of the usage of money not just in modern India, but as far back as the ancient times too!

Google Maps Link

Blogger Bio:

Rameez Shaikh is a twenty-two year old writer. With a degree in journalism to his name, he’s an aspiring author with an absolutely astounding admiration for alliteration. Leisure propels him to read, dance, pen fiction and gloat about himself in third person. On weekdays, he works as a features writer. On weekends, he’s a Manchester United fan.