MEET LE LATURIA
Laturia (lé-too-riya) in a local Rajasthani dialect 'marwari', means long messy hair. The word resonates with my perception of beauty in the things around me - raw, unkempt, open yet one-in-a-kind. Born in the culturally rooted local tribal community amidst the Aravallis, and fortunate enough to have traveled the world, the unfiltered soul of Indianness is what keeps bringing me back.
Le laturia (my page/and what I have titled my identity for my work) is my journey towards exploration, curation and creation of Indian art, craft, culture and bringing them to the forefront through building an understanding of their history, significance, utility and visual aesthetics.
Currently, I am predominantly working professionally in the areas of Visual Curation and Creation through Art Direction, Styling and Research. Though all the images on my social media handle are clicked by me as a part of a project, outtake, behind the scenes or research, I’m still an amateur at Photography as it is something I’m still learning when it comes to technicalities of a camera.
I started off as a content creator/storyteller at a Communication and PR agency called anukrm, which me and my partner started five years ago. Being placed in Jaipur which is the craft capital of India, Our clientele mostly included brands with craft based manufacturing/supply chain and strong cultural identity, hence we worked vastly over visuals and narratives with a local, cultural essence to them.
I was born into an ancient tribal community of India called ‘Meenas’ that largely resides in the villages amidst the mountain ranges of Northern India. Though my grandfather moved his family to more urban dwelling, I have spent a large amount of summer holidays in villages visiting family, surrounded by rich cultural lifestyle. Also, when I was in college I took up Ancient Indian art and culture as my major due to my interest in the same.
I always felt and reflected a strong connection to my roots through my work, as a South Asian person as well as a tribe. These experiences have shaped my journey as an artist. You will notice that most of my styling and art direction involves research and aesthetics that take inspiration and references from Indian history, its rural landscape, the traditional and tribal lifestyle and attire. My style is also very laid-back and raw, a little unkempt and imperfect, they say that's how tribals inherently are.
Tell us about your greatest inspirations or influences
I find inspiration from everyday things around me. Living in the culturally rich landscape of Rajasthan,India and growing up around it; everything around me is super inspiring, especially as most of my work has an Indian cultural/regional bent towards it. It's the people of India, the traditions, the decorations, the jugaads (make-shifts), the everyday practices, small beliefs, the places of worship, the bazaars, the local homes, the local food,clothes, the simpler things that inspire me.
Also, one of my greatest influences has to be my mother, she has always been a lover of art. Growing up I would see her adorn our rooms with the most striking and unique local artworks. She would dress herself in the most beautiful textiles, she would stitch and paint so meditatively. She would take me to the local market every week, to small lanes and smaller shops and find the most beautiful, unique and artistic things there. She and her journeys that she’d take me on have a great contribution on how my personal style/aesthetic has shaped. Even now, I discuss most of my ideas and work with her for feedback.
How are the current trends in technology and innovation affecting your work as a creative?
The current technology, coming from social media platforms and in general the whole digital movement has been great and has opened a lot of avenues for artists. We can be at the end of the world now and be working with someone on the other end. Everything that we are thinking, creating,living can be shared and there is an audience for each one of us. It has definitely increased work flow and recognition.
Although technology has opened a whole new world for artists and creatives, sometimes it gets difficult to make authentic art reach your relevant audience in that ever evolving, fast paced space as it is cluttered with so many things- art and artists, some original and some not so much.
We’d love to hear more about your creative process. How do you normally tend to work from the point you have an idea to finally having your work ready to share with the world?
I see beauty in everyday things around me. Especially in the simple things, people, their way of living, simple objects, the nostalgia of simpler life. Most of my personal work is very organic, I see something unique yet something obvious and mundane and I work with that.
My creative process involves a lot of conversation and a lot of research. It derives a lot of instances and inspiration from the personal work I do, my travels, my explorations. So when I have an idea or I’m given a project it is sort of a reflection of these everyday, simpler, mundane things that I find beauty in; which is then mixed with more elements. The photographs or concepts I direct have a lot of reality, a lot of rawness in them. The props/elements that I use in photoshoots are mostly sourced locally from either where the shoot is being planned or where it takes inspiration from. Everything begins with a lot of research from not just the concept front but also from where the shoot is taking place geographically, the culture, the craft and the practices innate to that place. I do a lot of reading on the concept, how a particular idea is perceived over the years, across different ethnicities. And then I create a personal perspective into place about the direction I want to go in. Location is an integral part of my shoots, it has to be someplace quaint, unexplored, very local again and I involve a lot of local communities and people in my production and help, as they have a unique perspective too which we gain over the course. Most times the final work that I share with the world is a lot more that what I imagined as an idea because it involves a lot of other factors than just my mind. It is a melody of everything that I experience in between from start to finish; the people I met, the culture I came across, the conversations and so much more.
What do you think of the art world and how it works in general? Do you think it's also an industry that is in a continuous state of change?
The art world is a beautiful place, it is an outlet for so many people, a means of life for others, a place to explore and to create. The current industry is becoming more and more inclusive and expressive. And that's what I love. Maybe one day all of us will be creating art, it will be an everyday activity and everything around us will be art, a creation of expression.
Yes, the art world is obviously constantly changing. And the change comes with new ideas, new expressions, new breakthroughs. It is important that it constantly changes and grows.
Anything coming up that we should know about?
I’m currently experimenting with mediums. I’m working on a small batch of textile centric clothing. I will be using local textiles around me to create some contemporary clothing basics. India has an abundance of textiles,
What does wellbeing mean to you and anything in particular that you practice?
Wellbeing is being healthy and happy. Both mental and physical wellbeing are very important to me as I am only able to create when both are in sync. I practice meditation and yoga on a regular basis, also I make sure to disconnect from digital life every now and then, surround myself with nature, family and dogs, that's what keeps me sane. Finding the joy in simpler things, slowing down, just giving my mind the time and space to relax, de-clutter from thoughts.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lelaturia/
Photography and Art Direction
