Mumbai: Kyoorius, since its inception, helmed by the creative evangelist Rajesh Kejriwal has worked relentlessly to empower the creative community in India.

Kyoorius has a wide range of creative properties like ZEE Melt, Kyoorius Creative Awards & the Kyoorius Design Yatra.

As a non-profit organisation, Kyoorius encourages the creative industry to excel through these endeavors.

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That’s a wrap on day two of Designyatra 2023! As it has been before, each day brings something, and someone, new to the table. With plenty of food for thought to go around, there was a fantastic lineup of speakers serving it. And an equally fantastic, and loud, audience.

We kicked today off with Pau Garcia, the man who’s delivering data with storytelling. He, and his team at Domestic Data Streamers, have built everything from a time machine to a system of storing synthetic memories. Because to create impact, numbers aren’t enough. After running the delegates through his excellent portfolio of work, the duo that banded together, Anil Aykan and Jonathan Barnbrook took the stage. As a couple, the two form both halves of electronic band, Fragile Self, and their talk took us through the eclectic and unique cover art, release album, and music videos for the band. And in typical Jonathan Barnbrook style, type was the hero. As they exited stage left, the audience welcomed the legendary Dick Powell. If you have a steam iron or a spaceship, you can be almost sure that Dick had a hand in making it better. But his talk centred around the practicalities of what design needs to do; make things better for the people who use them. After a quick lunch, the show was stolen by the queen of sustainable fashion, Shamyra Moodley aka LaaniRaani. Through her talk she took the audience through the seen and unseen parts of her life, from growing up in Apartheid-era South Africa to leaving her accountant career behind to pursue her passion in fashion. And she’s done it all herself. DIY to her core. She stunned the audience with an impromptu fashion show, comprised completely of delegates that attended the conference. Her inspiring and innovative story is sure to stay with the audience. But that wasn’t even close to the end of the excitement. Manavendra Singh Shekhawat took the stage next and spoke about his mind-blowing efforts to turn desolate land into a destination. He’s built one of the most successful boutique hotels and his eyes now lie on creating a new sustainable city called Dhun; a project that has already brought life to a land that was previously devoid of it. And creating a cultural library that preserves pieces from the past so that they don’t get lost in our rush to the future. Next in line we welcomes Nathan Yong. Energetic, funny, and insightful, Nathan believes that every object has a story to tell. And he’s hell bent on using the materials he has to create functional and fun products. From furniture to a ring made of 124 concrete blocks that brought people together, Nathan showcased the emotion behind design, without any pretence. As one designer left, another visionary entered. We welcomed Christopher Bauder to the stage, and from minute one, the only sound you could hear is the gasps and applause of the crowd. His kinetic light sculptures, insane scale of work, and the heart behind it left everyone with not just admiration, but pure drive to create something that they’ve never done before. As the light and sound show of Christopher’s work subsided, Murthovic and Thiruda brought their own brand of an experimental and sensational music and visual performance. Rooted in the cultural history of India, there was everything from game design to character creation to the multidisciplinary Elsewhere in India performance that showcased their skill in making sound and sight synonymous with each other.

At the end of the day, delegates left with their brains, and bellies, filled to the brim. Thankfully, there’s day three to make sure they’re satiated with all the exploration and inspiration they can digest until next year.

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The theme for the season is “Reset”, an attempt to look at how the world, the work, and most importantly how we work has changed. Designyatra, presented by Zee5, powered by Pidilite, with experience partner Absolut, will continue on the 27 and 28 October.

For more information about the event, visit designyatra.com

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