I met her, beautiful and fragile, like the fish in her frames, at the launch of AND SO, and had to know where her fish were going and if she was leading this pack of stranger beings to some ocean of her imagination. I pictured them on my walls, white washed and blue, chattering to each other their sojourn from the water to stranger lands… Such was my imagination as I stood in front of this wall of fish, transfixed…Could they come home with me too, and fly my walls of white with their strokes of oceans blue…
Sumaiya Sayed, let’s just call her a mermaid on land, with stories of the oceans to tell.
“The idea of living a life closer to nature and the ocean was always exciting and a distant dream until six months ago. I grew up in Mumbai, but the chaotic big city life was not what I wanted. The art and design culture in Goa is growing so fast and we – along with partner Rohan Joglekar, a fine artist and product designer – felt it would be the best place to be in. We took a chance, packed our bags and arrived in this beautiful place, fully inspired and ready to dive in.
In the process of looking for a place to stay, we noticed the beautiful printed tiles in a lot of the homes we saw. We decided to use that inspiration and turn it into an illustration series for the store at AND SO. A whimsical fusion between the typical Goan – Portuguese tile, prints and a variety of sea creatures. Each piece is housed in an up-cycled and locally sourced wooden frame.
Born of a common enthusiasm and love for painting, illustration, photography and graphic design; Doo Art Studio is us both, Rohan and myself, an illustrator and graphic designer. We work in our cozy studio tucked away in a sunny little Goan village, our work reflects our love for nature and Goa is the best place to be inspired.”
Working both individually and collaboratively, the duo enjoy indulging into creative projects of all kinds – it be murals, drawing commissions, installation pieces, illustrations for animations, branding or fabric painting. “Using our resources, skills and creativity, we are happy to bring ideas to reality,” Sumaiya tells me.
Planning to travel and working from different parts of the world exhibiting their work, the duo are determined to make Goa as their base to come home to. “There’s a lot of information and experience you gather while travelling, which always helps with the creative process. We have a few exciting projects coming up this year that we can’t wait to share. Putting our work up at the AND SO store is an amazing opportunity for us, and we are so proud to be a part of all the uniquely hand-picked furniture and art there,” she confides to me in a softly spoken voice in the din of the party we have found each other at.
The wall of flying fish draws its fans through the night, while all I hear as I make my way back to my home is the gentle lapping of ocean waves with her secrets to keep at the bottom of the floors…Such is the magnetism of Sumaiya’s art.
On display and sale exclusively at AND SO, F C Goa House, Porvorim. Store timing: 10am – 7pm.
Store Contact: +91-8323915770
Photographs by Hiranya Prabhawalkar
