Pushpa Patha, was a mixed media group show, conceptualised by artist Smriti Mehra, exploring the economics and aesthetics of the flower market through the eyes of six artists. My dual role in this project, as a graphic designer and an artist gave me a lens that was immersive and unique.

My ‘artwork’ was series of 49 frames of pressed flowers. On top of the real stems, instead of the flower heads were the signatures of the sellers from Bangalore’s K.R. market. This was my ode to the ‘real people’ in this largely anonymous and labour intensive industry. The signatures work as clues to reveal aspects of gender, language and even delight as one notices a ‘Rosy’ amongst the many names.

As a graphic designer, I borrowed the local tongue, Kannada for the main identity – as an attempt to create space for the regional voices in the otherwise English favouring urban landscape. Nuances like the decaying nature of the flower are referenced with the fading colour in the typography and the marigold, placed to reflect the omnipresent role of the flower in our daily life.