By Papri Das

While many of us aren?t well acquainted with ceramic art, the recently held exhibition ?Under Construction? shows how the art form continues to garner patrons amongst an exclusive group of A-listers. Those who graced the inauguration ceremony include honchos like Siddharth Roy Kapur with his wife and Bollywood actress Vidya Balan, Dolly Thakore, Khushnuma Khambatta and many more. While that's a promising turn out, well-known ceramist Anjani Khanna, who was also featured in the exhibition, feels that the art form needs more patrons.

?I prefer it when the work is bought by people who enjoy art, and understand ceramics as a medium. There are few understanding collectors in Mumbai and Delhi, but we certainly need more serious buyers,? says Khanna, who was recently invited to China to contribute to a permanent collection at the FuLe International Ceramic Museum in Fuping.

While Khanna specialises in stoneware clay and porcelain, the other six contributing have varied expertise. ?In ?Under Construction?, all materials are represented. Neha Pullarwar and Tejashree Sagvekar have worked in terracotta and earthenware, Rashi Jain, Veena Chandran, Nausheen Bari, Shayonti Salvi and I have used mostly stoneware, and Rashi Jain has some works in porcelain,? Khanna points out.

She shares that she was interested in the art form from a young age thanks to her induction to ceramic art by well known ceramist Primula Pandit, but it was when she entered professional life that she realised that her true calling lay in dabbling with fire and clay.

?After college in Mumbai I studied pottery with Mr Ray Meeker at the Golden Bridge Pottery in Pondicherry. I then went on to study biology at the University of Cambridge in the UK and on returning to India worked as an environment policy analyst and journalist. However, I returned to clay and Pondicherry. I spent another year and a half working at Golden Bridge Pottery, before returning to Mumbai,? says Khanna, who now runs her studio and kiln in Alibad in western harbor of Mumbai.

When asked what appeals to her about ceramics the most, she explains, ?Clay is a very versatile, ancient and natural material. The material is completely transformed by fire from a soft malleable material to a hard, unchanging form. I find that and the process of working with clay very interesting. Not only does the medium facilitate aesthetic expression, but it also demands technical rigour as the processes of converting raw clay to fired ceramic is arduous and requires learning and skill.?

While Khanna gives a simplified idea, the process isn't that simple. ?I work in stoneware clay and fire the sculpture at almost 1300 degrees Celsius. I also work with porcelain, which is also fired at a high temperature. Terracotta and earthenware are fired at a lower temperature,? Khanna shares, adding that the choice of clay too plays an important role in the outcome.

Due of these harsh conditions and parameters, there are very few artists who pursue this form, and even lesser who are successful. Needless to say, that adds to the exclusivity of certain artworks, while others go unnoticed. ?There are a few artists working with clay who are successfully supporting themselves with their work. A lot of other artists are struggling,? says Khanna, hoping that more galleries will support the work of artists who work in clay, as the number of practitioners and the quality of their work continues to grow.

Exec Lifestyle?s Weekend Watch recommends and previews television shows, films and live events that you simply cannot miss! Check out our recommendations for this weekend (8-10 May 2015)

About Town

If you are a 90s kid, then you were mostly likely witness to the Vengaboyz craze that swept the world with their sensational songs, and perhaps sung along to their ?oh so? catchy songs as a guilty pleasure. Well here?s your chance to relive those moments, as the very popular Dutch Eurodance group  hit the city in full throttle this weekend. So go Boom Boom Boom Boom with Vengaboyz live in Mumbai at Phoenix Market City in Kurla West this Friday at 7:30 pm

Movies:

After enamoring viewers with the quirky trailers, the multi-starrer and much talked about Shoojit Sircar movie, Piku is finally hitting the screens this May 8th. What makes Piku intriguing isn't only the array of highly accomplished and popular actors -- Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan -- but the comedy Sircar promises to bring to the screen with them. Dont forget to book your tickets now, and enjoy a fun filled time with your family watching Piku this weekend.

By Papri Das

When South Korean expat and Shop CJ head of marketing Donald Kwag first came to India in 2007 for a market analysis, he was blown away by ?diverse cultures, legacy of great freedom fighters and beautiful landscapes.?

In a tete-a-tete with Indiantelevision.com?s Exec Lifestyle, Kwag opens up on the challenges he faced in understanding the Indian consumer, and his tryst with Hinglish

What made you come to India?

I was working in the marketing and new business development team for CJ O Shopping in Korea, when the company decided to expand their business overseas. And India was one of the important markets.  I was sent here in 2007 with my other CJ colleagues. We studied the market for about two years, and what we saw amazed us about this country. Based on our research, we launched our channel in 2009.

What are your chief responsibilities as the head of marketing?

In my current role as the head of marketing, Shop CJ India, I am responsible foR strategising business plans for the channel and the website. I am also responsible for analysing sales and marketing activities of the business vis-?-vis advertising, sales, promotion, public relations, product development, pricing and channel distribution.

How difficult was it to understand consumer behaviour in India? 

It was a challenging job because unlike other countries, in India, if you travel 100 kilometres - you see people with different language, culture, festivals etc. Needless to say the buying pattern also varies. When we came to India for the first time, we had a very limited understanding of Indian consumers; hence it baffled us even more.

To compensate for our lack of understanding, we did a lot of research, studied market reports from recognized agencies, travelled beyond Mumbai, and even visited festivals like the Kumbh Mela. That gave us a first-hand understanding of Indian customers and their behaviour.

How important is culture in dictating the buying pattern of a place?

Yes, culture is an aspect, which affects buying behaviour. Factors like buying season, decision influencers and product configuration etc. are a part of culture.

We have observed that especially in the case of female category products like saris, jewellery and cosmetics.

For example, Indian women tend to discuss and buy a product together with their sisters, aunts, neighbour or female colleagues. This helped us build a product configuration. We started making a multiple pack deal like a pack of 10 saris to sell on our channel. One would think that something like that would fail. However we started getting a very good response for the same.

How did you adjust to the work culture here? How different is it from that of Korea?

I work with a wonderful team here, even if there are language and culture barriers, they understand my vision and work expectations. 

South Koreans are workaholics, punctual and compliant. We work for hours and with pin drop silence at the work place. Also, in South Korea, people do not switch their jobs too often. Their average time spent in a company is at least five - seven years. Still, I like the kind of professional mind-sets and ownership that Indians have and hence it was not very difficult to adjust with respect to daily work life here.

How do you spend time beyond your work hours?

Shop CJ is growing with a fast pace and I always need to be on my toes. Hence most of my day is occupied with work. I spend around 12 hours in office on weekdays. I even come to office on weekends. I enjoy my work thoroughly. On Sundays, I make it a point to visit the church and sometimes I play golf with friends and colleagues. We used to hang out at the  Wellington Club in South Mumbai, and often visit Chinese and Korean restaurants in Bandra.

Have you adjusted to the local cuisine?

I would say that overall food flavour in India is similar to S. Korea. We also eat spicy food made with multiple stages of preparation. Hence it was not very difficult to cope up with Indian food. So yes, I have tried them. Moreover, my wife had been cooking Korean food for my family, so we enjoy the regular Korean cuisine at home.

Did you learn any Hindi during your stay in Mumbai?

Yes, if course. It was important for me to understand Hindi as our channel is Hinglish. I am familiar with frequently spoken words like Namastey, shukriya, thik hai etc. I even use them often.

Success has a different meaning for every individual, and every successful person has a different value system that has helped them reach where they are. While some believe in their own will power to plough through any challenge others stress on having a positive outlook in life and learning from mistakes. Check out these established executives share their life?s mantra with Exec Life.

By Papri Das

Just as you are pleased to receive a card that is enclosed in a beautiful envelope, design packages add value to a product -- be it consumer goods, services or digital applications. No wonder then that designing studios and branding agencies are some of the most sought after in the industry.

But fighting the bidding war to hire the top branding partners isn?t something every startup can afford. Having started off from being small players in the industry not too long ago, this is something that folks at DesignAren understand well. ?We understand the importance of working with startups. We are aware of the budget constraints and lay a platform that makes our design solutions more accessible in terms of reasonable pricing,? says Ritesh Rathi, one of the two partners at DesignAren, who also holds a Masters at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Backing him up, his partner Nirali Parekh Rathi adds, ?Our intent is to provide design services for corporations and startups alike who may have not considered design as tool to improve their product experience.? 

At a time when MNCs spend millions over packaging, does designing take priority over content? ?Yes and No! The packaging is a part and parcel of the experience of consuming a product. Good packaging can create a good first impression for a brand and its credibility along with differentiating itself from the various other competitors. Having said that, the content and product has to be able to carry itself forward to match the promise that the packaging or branding is making,? Nirali clarifies.

Over the last few years DesignAren has worked with brands like McDonald?s, Radio Mirchi, Jones Lang LaSalle, Brookfield Financial, ICICI Prudential and Citibank. ?As one of our first projects, we worked for McDonald?s India for their hiring campaign,? Ritesh recollects when asked about his most challenging project so far. ?It was a challenge to come up with a strong and catchy tag line that would become the over-reaching theme for the entire hiring cycle. The visuals asked for a direct message to all levels of employees that McDonald?s was looking to hire and that each position offered certain perks. After speaking to several current McDonald?s employees about their experience working at there, we came up with the campaign theme of ?@McDonalds I can.??

If you wish to enhance your prodcut with an attractive packaging, Nirali and Ritesh would be happy to help you with their experiences and thoughts on the sector. Since they have worked in the USA before starting DesignAren, they could possibly give you a global perspective too.

Exec Lifestyle?s Weekend Watch recommends and previews television shows, films and live events that you simply cannot miss! Check out our recommendations for this weekend (1-3 May 2015)

About Town:

A chill is sure to run down your spine as you dive into the worlds of five witnesses who recount their versions of the incident involving the kidnapping and beheading of Hans Christian Ostro, a Norwegian trekker that marked of the beginning of turmoil in Kashmir in the 1990s. Under Shubhrajyoti Barat?s artful direction, watch the conflict between reality, assumption and rumours come live on stage with The Song Of The Swan. Catch this heart thumping theatrical performance live at 6 pm on Sunday in National Centre for Performing Arts, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point.

Movies

If theater is not your cup of tea, and your idea of fun is a weekend outing with the whole family, go for the big budget family entertainer Gabbar Is Back that is to hit the screens this friday. Named after the most infamous villain in indian cinema?s history, ?Gabbar?, director Krish has given a Bollywood twist to the Tamil blockbuster Ramana, and shaped his vigilante hero Gabbar Singh Rajpur, played by B?town khilari Akshay Khanna. The movie also features the gorgeous Shruti Haasan.