Great Metamorphosis of a Designer at Abhyaasa Vinyasa’s Art Residency

For me, design is communication—where the user’s reception takes precedence over the designer’s expression. Art, on the other hand, is pure expression—unfiltered, unapologetic, and indifferent to how it’s received. With this ideology in mind, I stepped into Abhyaasa Vinyasa’s Art Residency, a month-long art residency at Vinyasa Earth.

Surrounded by eight brilliant artistic minds from Malta, the Netherlands, France, and India, I found myself constantly drawing parallels and contrasts between art and design. Here are some reflections from this transformative experience:

• Both art and design stem from creativity, yet their purposes diverge.
• Art rebels and reveals, while design facilitates and functions.
• Artists are compelled to express, and every idea craves acknowledgment. With 8+1 artistic minds and 40+ ideas vying for space, design became the structure that gave them form.
• The interplay of art and design is electric—it creates, transforms, and empowers. The final performance we crafted was an immersive experience, weaving together fire (Dragon Flow), Butoh, martial arts, live music, contact improvisation, and flocking.

Here is a poem that I wrote from the poetry workshop. It was Holi and we were listening to the mythology of Pralhada and Holika. This writing was inspired from the mythology, something I took for myself to ponder upon. (I didn’t really write much before this, but when you sit among other artistic minds, some magic happens there and one finds the courage to take that first step)

DEMONS AND GODS

Do you know your Demons, do you know your Gods
Is there a Demon within your God; and a God within your Demon
Do they give legitimacy to each other
You are ONE are they too?

For 25 days, we didn’t just share a physical space—we shared emotions, creativity, and perspectives. This journey was more than artistic; it was deeply human. Beyond design, I leave with sharper people skills, teamwork, and a newfound respect for artistic synergy.