We as humans often make the mistake of viewing everyday items as insignificant and ignore their unique connections with our past. These physical objects act as archives of memories and can easily take us back to a time through a sensory journey. Imagine the whiff of our thick winter razai’s (blanket), it has the ability to instantly transport us into our childhood rooms. The comfort provided by a razai lies not only in its ability to shield us from the cold, but also in the feeling of being wrapped in warmth and security.

Gaurav Hablani’s recent artwork ignites a similar sentiment. The Indian Designer/Illustrator pursues explores art, poetry, journalling, philosophy, dance and music in order to release his essence into the world. After quitting his day job as a Creative Director at a young Digital Agency and later contributing his share via design amidst a start-up boom in Bangalore, his sensibilities and motivations moved towards art and different forms of expressionism. Gaurav reimagines the memories of a childhood spent dreaming and fantastical stories that seep deep even as an adult at different times of our lives. 

The sight of a razai stashed away in a cupboard rekindles the stories from those carefree days, long forgotten as adulthood remaps our priorities. We secretly keep our razais tucked hidden from the world; still clinging on to, not the razai like we did as a child, but the stories it holds as an adult. Similarly many other items act as memoirs of simpler times and offer us a form of refuge in adulthood. 

You can explore Gaurav's work here.

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