Artist with a purpose

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Whether it’s designing a delicate sculpture, flamboyant textiles or a larger than life edifice, Gayatri Ruia has been there, done that. A true art lover, her success is a testimony to her undying love for design. “At a younger age I considered taking up Fine Arts but soon realised that my passion lay in design and not art as a means of self expression.

It is the marriage of form, function and application that excites me — it’s art with purpose and efficiency,” says the business development director whose latest project, Phoenix Market City Mall in Mumbai has gained much praise for it’s designing.
Gayatri believes that there is never a moment when the designer in her switches off. “My family is used to having me weep in museums, overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of what I am in the midst of,” she says adding, “art, architecture, literature and travel influence my ideas. Destinations with rich history and architecture like Ajanta, Hampi, Florence and Barcelona are my favourites.”
Her Muranese art glass sculpture shows along with the late Manjit Bawa and Anjolie Ela Menon won her international acclaim. One of her sculptures was in fact, gifted to Bill Clinton by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Having dabbled in all things luxurious, she feels that it is indeed a subjective term. “Luxury for me is a lifestyle choice not bound by exclusivity. For example 15 minutes of solitude spent savouring my morning coffee is luxury. It is a space one creates in order to heighten one’s feeling of well being and self-worth. When I was in my 20’s a Gucci handbag was a luxury,” she quips.
A true entrepreneur, Gayatri believes in doing her bit for the society too. Through her NGO, Ahilya, she aims at promoting the dying craft of handloom weaving in India. “It is my small yet deeply satisfying contribution to Indian textile which I enjoy wearing and collecting. The success of Ahilya lies not only in the designs and master craftsmen whom we employ and train but in having high visibility in the urban malls,” she says.
But amidst all the madness, Gayatri finds a way to let off steam. “I am most productive when I have my fingers in many pies. Currently we are working very hard on some never-before dining concepts, which are really going to change how the city of Mumbai eats, shops and recharges its batteries,” she smiles.