Hollow and Empty: A poster for South Asian Design Educators Alliance in USA.

HOLLOW and EMPTY:

 This is a poster I designed for SADEA (South Asian Design Educators Alliance in USA).

SADEA initiated a project called "Posters for Peace" in which they invited 20designers across the globe to design posters based on their own interpretation of Peace.

https://www.sadea.community/posters-for-peace

My design philosophy is to follow the principle of "Form emerges from Content". I believe that all design processes start with the designer's ability to have a deep understanding of the content on which a design is being created. 

My process follows the Indian philosophy of Upanishads:  Study and understand the content, create a view point, understand the context of communication, study the sender and receiver of the message and medium of communication. Then I articulate all desirable qualities of the end product. Then initiate deep contemplation/brainstorming/meditation phase and proceed to image visualisation. The final image emerges itself from the meditation process.

Title of this poster is "Hollow and Empty". The visual is based on the experience of the body getting hollow and empty during meditation which is depicted through the empty shape of the human body in the poster. The process of meditation follows inhalation based on the sound "So" and exhalation based on the sound "Hum". Deep inhalation fills the entire body with oxygen and hence the letterform is in extra bold weight and exhalation moves us towards an empty sensation with the letterform changes to extra thin weight which depicts the "emptied out" sensation in the body. The entire space filled with text of these two sounds of "So" and "Hum" depicts the numerous cycles of inhalation and exhalation during meditation. The text also shows seven colours associated with seven chakras (energy centres) in the human body, which are aligned to the specific locations of these chakras.

Hollow and Empty is a guided meditation by my guru Sri Sri Ravishankar ji, taught in the Advanced Meditation Program of the Art of Living foundation.

This travelling exhibition started in USA in July 2024 and the first exhibition in India was held at IIT Bombay as part of the Typography Day 2025 conference held on March 6,7,8 at IDC School of Design.

Main inspiration

Atmashtakam by Shankaracharya

A few lines quoted below:

Mano Buddhi Ahankaara Chittani Naaham Na Cha Shrotra Jihve Na Cha Ghraana Netre Na Cha Vyoma Bhumir Na Tejo Na Vaayuhu Chidananda Rupah Shivoham Shivoham

I am not the mind, the intellect, the ego or the memory

I am not the ears, the skin, the nose or the eyes I am not space, not earth, not fire, water or wind I am the form of consciousness and bliss,

I am the absolute bliss, the eternal Shiva.

Full text here: https://gvsree.blogspot.com/2020/06/lessons-for-adi-shankaracharya.html

Design decisions:

Empty shape of human body

The visual is based on the experience of the body getting hollow and empty during meditation which is depicted through the empty shape of the human body in the poster.

Usage of “So” and “Hum”

The process of meditation follows inhalation based on the sound “So” and exhalation based on the sound “Hum”. The entire space filled with text of these two sounds of “So” and “Hum” depicts the numerous cycles of inhalation and exhalation during meditation.

Deep inhalation fills the entire body with oxygen and hence the letter form is in extra bold weight and exhalation moves us towards an empty sensation with the letter form changes to extra thin weight which depicts the “emptied out” sensation in the body.

Seven colours of text

The text shows seven colours associated with seven chakras (energy centres) in the human body, which are aligned to the specific locations of these chakras.

Sahasrara: Purple Ajna: Blue Vishuddhi: Cyan Anahata: Green Manipura: Yellow Svadhisthana: Orange Muladhara: Red

The empty circle

The special chakra which floats above the body during meditation. Beginning of the numerous chakras which are not known to the material world but still exist.

Fade to white at the top:

Evaporation of the body and mind towards absolute nothing during the process of meditation.

The real experience of Peace

Acknowledgements:

Sri Sri Ravishankar, Art of Living Foundation

Prof Archana Shekara, and all members of SADEA

IIT Bombay and IDC School of Design

and my family

Details of all designers who are part of this exhibition:

Feedback welcome:

gvs.idc@gmail.com