Manasee Jog I मानसी जोग

What started off as a simple conversation in 2024, led to so much more. Am really grateful to have been invited by @abc_artroom as part of the @kochibiennale , (the people’s bienalle 2025-26), for a fabulous four day paper mache workshop in December. It was humbling to be a small part of such a mammoth festival. I had the best hosts in @blaisejoseph76 and @ma_l_oo who made me feel at ease from day one. From their team was @catchyaalater_ who was the assigned volunteer. She is one of the loveliest young people I have worked with in recent times. She made me think there is still hope for us all. always smiling, taking on all my requests, demands and a calm, gentle demeanour. As always, Much for me to learn. And what can I say about the participants! Many will attest that participants are equally important to the success of a space like this. As part of this workshop we had doctors, researchers, deep sea divers, designers, writers, artists and travellers. They each personified in the form of masks, eco/environmental issues around kochi, or where they came from. we had representations of animal human habitat conflict, mangrove depletion, sea life getting affected due to oil spills, introduced species that affect a local ecosystem- and some of us even looked inward for environmental issues that might arise from technology. Stunning outputs by every one of the participants. May I request you to please write back to me, if you see the post, and I will tag you? Overall, apart from having a chance to see the bienalle and its art after eight years, it was just amazing to be enveloped with so much love, kinship and belonging that fort Kochi, the island (and its people) never fails to provide.

Glimpses from yesterday’s mask-making workshop, Kochu Azhi Sahayi, led by Manasee Jog at the Water Metro Station, Fort Kochi. #KochiMuzirisBiennale #KochiBiennaleFoundation #ForTheTimeBeing #NikhilChopra #KMB2025

Scenes from the mask-making workshop, 'Kochu Azhi Sahayi', led by Manasee Jog, at Water Metro Station, Fort Kochi. #KochiMuzirisBiennale #KochiBiennaleFoundation #ForTheTimeBeing #NikhilChopra #KMB2025

The Guardian Galaxy – A Mask Making Workshop Facilitated by Manasee Jog Step into a world where creativity meets ecology. Over four immersive days, this workshop invites you to explore sustainable art-making through papier-mâché, paper-form techniques, and natural materials. Participants will craft large, expressive masks inspired by Kochi's ecological themes - from marine health and forests to waste and endangered species. With guided sessions in concept building, collaborative making, painting, and storytelling, you’ll create your own “eco-guardian” mask that reflects a personal response to nature and ecological care. No prior experience required - just curiosity, imagination, and a willingness to get your hands messy. 📅 Dates: 17–20 December 2025 📍Venue: Water Metro (Art Room), Fort Kochi Free entry — no registration fee required. About the Artist: Manasee Jog(@theforeverlearner ) is a designer-maker, educator, and researcher with three decades of experience across industry and academia in India, Sweden, and Australia. Her interdisciplinary practice spans craft, visual culture, storytelling, and material experimentation including papier-mâché, textiles, bookmaking, and illustration. Who can apply: Adults aged 18+ interested in art, sustainability, or creative exploration. (Please note: Food & accommodation must be arranged individually.) 🕓 Applications close on December 11, 2025 🔗 Apply via the link in bio. For queries: [email protected] | [email protected]

Some of the last days to catch it, if you still haven’t gone to see the Naarm Textile Biennale @naarmtextilecollective 97 artists who have done some really thoughtful work into the context, some mind-altering work with medium and really fabulously crafted objects - with culture, community, collaboration as concept. My collaborative piece and dialogue on a transnational and transregional identity with @sajnubenrabari is up on display too. Show on until the 25th October, 4 pm at Gallery fortyfivedownstairs @fortyfivedownstairs Tuesday to Saturday.

Visual notes from a very hectic four days of a conference. Not my first gig, but as an RMIT PhD research candidate, this is my second conference. However, this was a conference, of many firsts. My first one travelling and presenting alongside senior colleagues, supervisor, and peers cheering on for support. Thank you all for the encouragement, mentoring, structure and general conviviality. It was also my first conference where I presented two papers! (one with a colleague thank you @fannyms - and another presented solo). And my first time, writing a collective paper! Was a fun experience! it was great to see both papers I presented were chaired by senior female academics - who were nurturing, supportive and oh so positive. First time this one too. So, thank you, Joyce Yee and @tanishkakachru Another first was, some of my colleagues seeing a different side to me than they see in Melbourne! One of them very graciously said, I am different than when in Melbourne and that they related :) Being in the hallowed halls, campus and classrooms of IIT Delhi, that I have heard so many lores of from friends, senior colleagues, father, nephews et al was also a first. finally, it was my first time (as an adult) in Delhi. My last experience was not the very best. It’s been a week, but this time I carry good memories back and reminisce fondly of my time in sadi Dilli. #icdhs14 #iitd #rmitcommdesign #rmituniversity #academicwriting #academiclife #conferencemusings #counterculture #traditionalculture

Honoured and grateful to be selected as one of the artists into the Naarm Textile Biennale for the collaborative piece @sajnubenrabari and I created. Please come see this transnational collaboration where we discussed identity, migration and what this means to each of us. Through this process we created a first step toward reciprocal knowledge-sharing space that made visible links between the past and present – for the future and agency of Indian craft artists. Would love for all of you to please come and see this wonderful exhibit where 95 mixed media artists are sharing some really fabulous creative pieces! Exhibition Opening Event: Tuesday 30 September 5-7pm Forty Five Downstairs Gallery Exhibition dates: 30 September to 25 October I hope to see you all there :) FortyFiveDownstairs Gallery Opening Hours Tuesday - Friday: 12pm - 7pm Saturdays: 12pm - 4pm

September rough doodles ~ thinking of doing Inktober..... 1-10-25 to 30-10-25... a few rough happies here and there...

Quick studies and/or experiments in bricolage plus collage over the years. Some deliberate, some studied, some by accident. Gathered parts, all. #collagestudies #makingwithmaterial #storytellingwithmaking #rememberseptember

Happy to join ‘Remember September’ by not sketching per se, but to do a month of making with @sophiegaur , who very generously added me into a circle of creativity so I went back to circular form and returned to making paper after an age. Here is my first offering, Sophie🙂 I also continued this making process and encouraged my Guftagu studio students to have a go at working with this messy, gooey process and boy! did they enjoy themselves. #makingwithmaterial #collectivemaking #experimenting #paperwithpaper #guftagustudio #storytellingwithmaking #deckle #sustainablepractices #studio #rmituniversity🇦🇺

Remember September... time to go back to notebooks for fun, and as a way to be joyful. Happy to join me? A rough sketch a week for the month of September?

Continuing on from last weeks’ post, here is a compilation of two weeks of some determined and diligent work by the Guftagu students on alternative modes of storytelling through mask making. Each mask tells an individual story - either a linear narrative or a time and place special to the maker - and how they might personify it through a mask. #rmituniversitymelbourne #maskmaking #makingwithmaterials #guftagustudio