Svabhu speaks to Blur The Border :

Blur : What inspired you to use art as a medium to raise awareness about nature and encourage a deeper bond with the environment?

Svabhu : Art has always been my way of translating how I see and feel the world.—a language that has grown over time to hold the magic, love, grief, and pain I have experienced through living and connecting with the natural world. It was never about raising awareness in a structured way; rather, it was about telling stories, translating my experiences into form. As people and communities connected with the work, they saw reflections of their own relationships with nature, using it as a space to learn, unlearn, and rekindle their connection with the living world. In many ways, the awareness and action that emerged from my work were an unconscious result of storytelling over time.

It was only when I began working with Amche Mollem, a citizen-led movement in Goa to protect the state’s largest protected forest, that I consciously realised the potential of art as a tool for action. This movement brought together art, science, and community engagement to safeguard the rights of the land and the people who depend on it. Working intensely in an interdisciplinary approach—where art directly engaged with legal frameworks, scientific research, and indigenous knowledge—I saw how creative expression could shape public discourse, influence policy, and become a powerful force in democratic processes. It completely shifted my understanding of what art could do, showing me how it could move beyond being an invitation to reconnect and instead become a catalyst for real, tangible change.

This experience continues to shape my work today, reinforcing the idea that storytelling isn’t just about witnessing the world but also about actively shaping it.

Blur : How has your artistic style evolved over the years?

Svabhu : Over the years, my artistic style has been shaped largely by play and curiosity—both of which have been at the heart of my practice. Each story I’ve explored has opened a door to a new medium, inviting me to learn, experiment, and push the boundaries of how a narrative can unfold. This journey has led me across disciplines, from illustration and photography to film, space design, automaton-making, immersive experiences, sculpture, and beyond.

The stories I tell are deeply rooted in the varied experiences and people I have met in the field—stories that reflect our relationship with both people and nature. Rather than being confined to a single form, my work is driven by the desire to see these narratives take on new lives in different mediums, allowing them to be felt, experienced, and interacted with in unexpected ways. Curiosity is the constant thread, guiding me toward new ways of storytelling—each medium offering its own language, rhythm, and possibilities.

Blur : How do you decide which medium works best for the concept you have in mind for a particular installation or mural? Are there any other mediums you are looking to explore in the future?

Svabhu : As a maker deeply curious about material, texture, color, and the many processes of making, the choice of medium for a particular installation or mural emerges organically. Sometimes, it is driven by curiosity—an urge to explore how a story might unfold through a new form. Other times, it’s a creative challenge, pushing the limits of how something can be built or experienced. And often, it is about finding the most effective medium for storytelling—one that allows the narrative to breathe, evolve, and connect with its audience in the most immersive way.

Over time, I have explored a wide range of materials and forms, each offering a unique way to shape and translate ideas. Lately, I have been drawn to textiles and weaving—not just as a medium, but as a form of storytelling deeply rooted in place, tradition, and the people who sustain it. I am fascinated by how the colors of textiles come from the land itself—extracted from roots, plants, and minerals—and how the act of weaving holds the memory of landscapes, histories, and communities.

Currently, I am ideating a project that explores storytelling through collaborations with native weaving communities in Ladakh, looking at how their techniques, materials, and traditions can be interwoven with new narratives. This exploration into textiles is an ongoing journey, and I am excited to see how it shapes my future work and expands the ways in which stories can be experienced.

Blur : What role does the environment play in your work or fuel your creativity?

Svabhu : As someone deeply curious about the world, I spend much of my time observing and recording my surroundings—watching how landscapes shift, how light changes, how people move through space, and how nature and human presence interweave. These observations become an ongoing dialogue, shaping my thoughts on the past, present, and future.

It often feels like I am mapping time itself—tracing who we were, how we arrived at this moment, and where we might be headed. The land holds stories far older than us, carrying the imprints of histories, migrations, and ecologies that continue to evolve. In the same way, human spaces tell their own layered stories—of connection and disconnection, of belonging and displacement, of care and neglect.

These narratives are where I find myself lost, and in that act of being lost, I discover. My work becomes a way to thread these stories together, to create immersive spaces where others might pause, reflect, and reconnect with their own relationship to the world around them. The environment isn’t just a subject of my work—it is the language, the rhythm, and the very heartbeat of everything I create.

Blur : You have been working with the Amche Mollem citizen movement since its inception, In your view, what role do such platforms play in supporting your purpose through art, which is fostering a deeper sense of community and strengthening our connection to the environment?

Svabhu : Amche Mollem began as a citizen-led movement to protect and raise awareness on Goa’s largest protected forest region - Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park from three destructive infrastructure projects, but it quickly grew into something much larger—a collective force that demonstrated how art, science, law, and community action could come together to safeguard the natural world and become a voice of the forest and its people.

From its inception, Amche Mollem harnessed the power of storytelling, using art not just as a form of expression but as a tool for scientific study, legal advocacy, and public engagement. Artists collaborated with ecologists, legal experts, architects, teachers and various communities to create work that translated complex environmental, scientific, personal data into accessible narratives. Through making powerful illustrations, zines, infographics, poems digital campaigns, street exhibitions, and even performance-based interventions became powerful instruments in raising awareness, educating the public, and holding decision-makers accountable.

One of the most significant outcomes of the movement was how art played a direct role in shaping legal arguments and policy discussions. Scientific studies, legal processes, personal memories that shape identity were visualised through various visual storytelling forms, making crucial data and stories more comprehensible to a wider audience. Legal frameworks were reinforced by creative storytelling, helping communities understand their rights and advocate for them effectively. This interdisciplinary approach not only strengthened the movement but also set a precedent for how art can be integrated into democratic processes to drive real change.

For me, working with Amche Mollem was a turning point—it solidified my belief in the power of art as more than just an invitation for reflection and sharing - but as an active force in reimagining and reclaiming our relationship with the environment. It reinforced that fostering a deeper sense of community isn’t just about nostalgia or beauty; it’s about equipping people with the knowledge, tools, and collective energy to stand up for the world they wish to live in.

Blur : What role do you believe large-scale art holds in a world increasingly dominated by digital consumption?

Svabhu : In a world increasingly dominated by digital consumption, I see art as a portal—an invitation for people to step into immersive spaces where they can slow down, discover, and connect. My work is about creating worlds crafted by hands and minds, where each encounter holds the possibility of new discoveries, an invitation to go inward. These are stories of our lands and people, woven into spaces that ask us to look closer, to feel, and to remember our relationship with the world around us.

At a time when we are constantly moving, swiping, and scrolling, I hope my work creates moments of softness, pauses, and wonder—reminders of how to truly see, listen, and engage with our surroundings. Art has the power to ground us, offering tangible, shared experiences that digital screens often cannot. It is a way to rekindle our sense of presence and curiosity in the world we inhabit.

Blur : How do you think the interplay between modern science, indigenous knowledge, and mysticism enhances our understanding of nature’s transformation and its relationship to our lives?

Svabhu : The interplay between modern science, indigenous knowledge, and mysticism weaves together a complex and ever-evolving understanding of nature and our place within it. Each of these narratives—rooted in observation, intuition, and lived experience—shapes the way we perceive and engage with the world. Whether through data, tradition, or the unseen forces that guide our beliefs, these perspectives influence our behaviours, choices, and relationships with our surroundings.

My work creates a space—a portal—where we can step into this interplay, engaging with how these stories have shaped us and, just as importantly, how we can learn and unlearn from them. Through immersive worlds, I invite people to question, reflect, and discover new ways of seeing. By holding these narratives together—science offering curiosity and precision, indigenous knowledge grounding us in deep ecological wisdom, and mysticism reminding us of the unknown—we can explore nature’s transformation not just as an external phenomenon but as something deeply intertwined with our own lives. It is in these intersections that new ways of understanding, connecting, and coexisting emerge.

Blur : Do you have a definitive process while creating? Are there any habits or rituals that help you get into a creative mindset?

Svabhu : My creative process begins by going inward, drawing from the immense privilege I’ve had of spending time in the wild and forming deep friendships with the landscapes and people who inhabit them. The forests of the Western Ghats, the Aravalis, the Indian Ocean, the Atacama Desert, and the Himalayas—they live inside me now. These places are not just memories; they are relationships, ongoing dialogues that continue to shape the way I see, feel, and create.

As the world unfolds into our present today, marked by immense disconnection, environmental loss, and the exploitation of both people and land, my work is born from a deep well of grief and pain. But it is also born from hope—hope for a world that will open its arms again, that will allow us to see the magic that still exists, waiting to be witnessed. My art is a way of processing these emotions, of transforming sorrow into something that invites pause, wonder, and reconnection.

Beyond this emotional and relational foundation, my practice is rooted in meticulous observation. I keep a detailed sketchbook—part field journal, part map of thoughts—where I record everything from free writing and sketches to scientific notes, overheard conversations, and small anecdotes from the world I witness. It is a living archive of moments, stories, and discoveries, a space where ideas take shape organically. Often, it is from this well that my works are born.

This process, though fluid, is deeply ritualistic. It allows me to stay present, to honor the relationships that have shaped me, and to translate them into immersive worlds that invite others to see, feel, and remember their own connections to the living world.

Blur : If you were to collaborate with another artist, within or outside of your discipline, what is one collaboration you would love to do?

Svabhu : Collaboration is at the heart of my practice—it is how I step beyond my own world and into the knowledge, experiences, and insights of others. My work has been shaped by the immense privilege of working alongside shamans, shepherds, herders, ecologists, marine biologists, ecologists, musicians, puppeteers, activists and more—practitioners who share a deep, intrinsic relationship with the natural world. These collaborations have been portals into different ways of seeing, understanding, and storytelling, each one enriching the worlds I create and also reshaping and rebuilding on my own worldview.

Lately, I’ve been deeply curious about the way light shapes our moods, our sense of belonging, and our connection to an environment—how it influences identity and perception in ways both tangible and ephemeral. This has led me to wonder about new forms of collaboration that explore light not just as an artistic medium but as a language of emotion, memory, and transformation. I would love to work with lighting designers, neuroscientists, or even glass artists who harness light in unexpected ways. Perhaps architects and urban planners who consider how light moves through lived spaces to evoke a sense of place.

I’m excited by the unknown—by the questions that lead to unexpected connections and the possibility of discovering new ways to translate nature’s rhythms into immersive, sensory experiences. Wherever this curiosity takes me, lets see what unfolds.