top of page
Linktree
lotus mandala
Lotus passage is a small project I completed during my time studying at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. This was as part of a course called 'Design From an Asian Perspective'. The goal of this project was to explore Hindu concepts and symbols through embodied design.
When designing for this project it was especially important to be sensitive when working with concepts that are from outside my own culture. To this end, I discussed all of my ideas at length with both my professort Dr Peer and my Hindu classmates whom were all enthusiastic about my approach and design. This gave me the confidence to proceed with the physical prototype and development.
inspiration
I was particularly inspired by the form and symbology of the Lotus Mandala and how it relates to the concepts of Samsara, Karma, Dharma, and Moksha. I wanted to use some of my engineering and design knowledge to create an artifact that embodied this inward journey physically through motion. To this end I designed a double-Iris mechanism which, by twisting the outside edges, causes the petals of the lotus to open and reveal a passage from the Baghavad Gita - Krishana: " Man is made by his belief, as he believes so he is."
design
The final prototype design was recieved very well at the end of term show and, despite not having a stated practical purpose, I had many people suggest that it could be used a jewelry box or as a ritual container to store items like incense.
I believe this project was very successful in its goal of using Hindu concept in an embodied design, further iterations would likely look closer at the use of materials to make sure that those too were grounded in a Hindu context - possibly incorporating brass which is often used in vessels used for religious ceremonies.
The poster for the end of term show can be seen below.
bottom of page