The last two sessions of the INK Conference were among the best of the three-day experience in Lavasa, India. On Sunday, December 12, attendees made it to the conference center bright and early to see talks by artist Raghava KK, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, designer Philippe Starck and more.
Session 8:
Alexander Tsiarias shared his eclectic life story, describing how he went from being an Olympic athlete to an art student to a medical innovator, and was thrown out of seven universities along the way. Raghava KK introduced his latest project — an iPad app that lets you play with and personalize his illustrations, allowing kids to create their own scenes, stories and perspectives. Lego’s creative director, John Henry Harris encouraged attendees to play hard in order to work better, emphasizing the importance of the play in unleashing creativity. INK Fellow and metallurgist Sharada Srinivasan drew symbolic connections between the physical quality of metals and stories behind the dances portrayed in classical Indian bronzes. Arvind Gupta delivered simple yet stunning ideas for turning trash into seriously entertaining, well-designed toys that kids can build themselves. The Raghu Dixit Band brought the conference to its feet and had everyone clapping in this early morning performance, blending traditional Indian rhythms with rock guitar and a whole lot of energy.
Session 9:
Designer Philippe Starck gave a hilarious talk while introducing his work and the principles behind it, from democratic design to minimalism. The youngest INK Fellow, 14-year-old game designer Shivam Sai Gupta, who has been already been partnering with gaming companies around India, demoed his incredible work and shared his dream to create an internationally popular game. Cartoonist Lynda Barry gave a clever, heartwarming talk on her playful inspirations, reminding us to take a moment and look at the art and imagery happening all around us, at every moment. Matt Groening began his talk by revealing the process behind the creation of some of The Simpsons’ most well-known characters, but then switched gears to tell a beautifully personal story about his father, the inspiration for Homer Simpson. Rives performed a mash-up of quotes from every speaker at the conference, somehow managing to make it poetic — and funny. Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire ended the program with incredible Indian harmonies.