The Lota is a vessel found all over India used to collect water. On a recent visit to the Eames House, I learned how the midcentury designers, Ray and Charles Eames, were inspired by this humble pot. Post independence from British rule, India’s Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had asked the Eames to help modernize Indian design and arts. As part of their research, documented in The India Report, the Eames' found Lota to be the perfect symbol of what good design is and can be for a culture to thrive - something that is used everyday and is passed on through generations. Their work led to the creation of an institution to help translate the country’s design ethos to produce goods at scale, which became the National Institute of Design in my dad’s hometown, Ahemdabad.
Of all the objects we have seen or admired during our visit to India, the Lota, that simple vessel of everyday use stands out as perhaps the greatest... no one man designed the Lota but many men over many generations. - Ray and Charles Eames, The India Report, 1958
To me, Lota defines simple design with lasting power and a link to my past and present. I started this platform as a reminder of how connected we all are, through our unique heritage and our collective journey to find our own voice.
In this newsletter, you will find stories of creators who are pushing boundaries to create a more beautiful, inclusive world, that is rooted in tradition and modernity. Creators across art, fashion, architecture, and design who don’t solely mirror culture, they seek to define it as they forge paths for others who may not have access to it…yet.