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Soil

Color Next 2024

India Design Week

For Asian Paints

Guided and Art directed by Ram Sinam

Kyoorius Design Award ‘24

for Spatila Design installation

Soil explores the hidden narratives beneath the earth’s surface through texture, material, and form. The installation embodies the essence of nature—flexible yet grounded—merging traditional craftsmanship with innovative design thinking.

Developed by Wari Watai for Asian Paints’ ColourNext 2024, the project reflects a global shift toward creating calming, restorative environments. Drawing from the trend of nature-inspired design, it celebrates earth tones, organic textures, and biophilic principles that evoke nostalgia and wellness.

My contribution focused on material exploration and the conceptualisation of wallpaper design inspired by the theme with the textile design team.

The Soil CMF (Colour, Material, Finish) board celebrates the tactile beauty of earth through raw textures, natural pigments, and handcrafted finishes. Inspired by themes of purity, nostalgia, and belonging, it embodies a grounded, nature-driven design approach. Warm earth tones, organic surfaces, and layered materials evoke biophilic and sustainable design, connecting interiors to the emotional depth of material storytelling.

part of the exhibition showcasing soil-inspired art installation and handcrafted wallpaper designs. This artwork cluster celebrates earthy textures, natural materials, and organic color palettes, creating a sensory experience that connects craftsmanship, design, and the natural world.

This project explores soil abstraction through a contemporary lens, studying the relationship between fiber, texture, and earth. Using raw jute fiber for its natural sheen and refinement, the material was oxide-dyed and sun-dried to create diverse earthy tones. Cecil and banana fibers were also tested as sustainable alternatives. These fiber experiments were later integrated into paper textures for the exhibition walls, adding depth and a tactile, nature-inspired design aesthetic.

The exploration of paper-making techniques began with the recognition that handmade paper, with its delicate yet raw texture, can create nuanced surfaces reminiscent of the earth’s natural textures. Its inherent fragility adds depth and meaning to installation art, making each piece a tactile and visually engaging design experience.

Recycled Cotton Pulp, Natural Oxides, Botanical Extracts, Tea, and Coffee for Sustainable Design

Through careful material explorations, a variety of textures and finishes were developed, helping to identify the most suitable options for the project’s thematic narrative. The process then focused on defining visual layering and aesthetics for each selected sample, providing clear guidance for the production team and ensuring a smooth transition to large-scale production.

The installation was created onsite for the exhibition, featuring layered deckled edges and sculptural forms that rose into a striking 10-foot structure. The composition highlights the tactile beauty of handcrafted paper — its textures, raw edges, and subtle color applications. The image captures the installation from the process to a close up of the final outcome , emphasizing the material depth, craftsmanship, and immersive scale of the work.

A detailed close-up of the final paper wall, showcasing its organic texture, layered fibers, and earth-inspired tones. The surface captures the essence of handcrafted material design, highlighting the integration of fiber experiments and natural paper finishes developed for the exhibition installation.

The creation process for the wallpaper involved layering the explored textures by tearing the paper for a more organic edge. These layers were then scanned at high resolution and edited in Photoshop for final refinement.

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