Motifs, Materials, and Makers of Art Deco Architecture

Akshay Mahajan is an artist and instigator working primarily with photography. His practice is grounded in research within historical documents, literature and visual material that inform and colour his process and inquiries as a photographer. His current project explores how the built environment of a city and how that architecture can function as “a sculptural representation of failed futures". He is also deeply interested in how individual lives are shaped by and shape the urban landscape. His long-term personal projects and essays are published in Financial Times Magazine London, Wall Street Journal Magazine, Aperture, and Le Monde among others. Akshay’s engagement with the visual arts also takes shape through writing, teaching and curation. In 2008, he co-founded Blindboys.org, an open collective aimed at reclaiming public spaces – both online and offline – to showcase photography built and educate a new audience by leveraging technology and engagement. Akshay is a member of the photo editorial team of PIX Quarterly, a contemporary photography publication looking at South Asian Practices. He is also the co-curator of GoaPhoto an international photography festival that produces location- specific installations connecting photographic displays and their architectural contexts.

Nikhil Mahashur's strong passion for hospitality and commercial architecture is blended with a broad experience in PMC. He believes in creating a space not only for the person who commissions it but for the people who are going to use the space – each project is a celebration of that space and its intimacy. He describes his architectural style as Eclitecture - designing cotemporary buildings and layering them with traditional elements. He firmly believes that the first impression is the one that will make you fall in love with the building. Helmed by Nikhil Mahashur, Nikhil Mahashur & Associates (NMA) is accustomed to delivering exemplary projects across Architecture, Renovation, Interiors and PMC. NMA's design philosophy is therefore entrenched in creating the right first impression and a WOW factor through simplicity, where even a little chaos can be simple.

Firdaus Variava is Vice Chairman at Bharat Floorings & Tiles (BFT) and holds an MBA in Marketing from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA, USA. He took over the reins of the company in 2002 from his mother, Mrs. Dilnavaz Variava – Chairperson, Bharat Floorings & Tiles. In his role as Vice Chairman, Firdaus is not only responsible for developing and launching new products and designs at BFT, but also lead the Marketing and Sales efforts of the company. In doing so, he has helped transform handmade cement tiles into a viable and sought-after flooring option and introduced new products and ranges like BFT+, Made in India, International Range, Virtuoso, Terazzo Grandezza, among others. Firdaus’ vision for BFT is to grow the company to ₹100 Crores in the next 3 years. He is also looking at expanding the global footprint of BFT and plans to and have sales outlets in 6 countries over the course of the next 3 years. Firdaus lives in Bombay with his wife, Nidhi and their two kids, Kabir and Shai. In his free time, Firdaus enjoys hobbies such as cycling, hiking, Crossfit and reading, amongst others.

Kaamna Patel (b. Mumbai, 1988) is a visual artist and book maker currently based in Mumbai, her home city. She launched her publishing imprint Editions JOJO with her book ‘In Today's News: Alpha Males Women Power’ in May 2019 in Mumbai which has since evolved into an artist-led platform for contemporary visual culture, at the centre of which is one of the largest, publicly accessible photobook libraries in the region. As a publishing imprint, Editions JOJO is dedicated to exploring new perspectives, process and playfulness through images and the book object.