Design with Conscience

ISSUE: 128

While Tejas Phansekar chose advertising over his family tradition of agriculture, he is using his experience in the field to help uplift the farmers in his native village

What first drew you to design?

TP: Born amidst nature and wildlife in a small village in Sindhudurg, I was filled with inspiration as a little kid. There were birds in rainbow colours, monkeys waving to me from the trees, leaves and fruits of every shape and size, lakes, streams and breathtaking beaches.
Even though we moved from village to village as my mother was a teacher, one thing remained the same for me – my love of art and painting. I scribbled on whatever I could find – books, newspapers, pieces of bark, dried banana leaves – and went into a world of imagination.
My father wanted me to pursue agricultural studies following our family tradition but I had other plans – I had a dream to study art. However, art was not considered a proper profession in my village, and my family wondered how I would put food on the table with art. But I had belief in my destiny.

Which has been the most challenging brief you’ve ever received?

TP: Every brief for me is a new and exciting challenge and it just keeps getting tougher with every project. However, maintaining a clear mind, and visualizing in a calm state just like a tree sometimes helps me solve the toughest of problems.

How do you balance the commercial and creative aspects of your work?

TP: Creative satisfaction is the most important thing for me. Whenever I’ve had an idea that has truly touched my heart, I have stood by it till it saw light. The best example is the ‘Go Vegan’ campaign I did for PETA India. I have been supporting them for so many years and did this as a good gesture. The campaign also generated a lot of buzzes and was featured in the prestigious Lurzer’s Archive Magazine.

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