A Word with Designer Surya Sajnani

This year’s CSA t-shirt has been at the center of campus fashion talk. Many asked us about the person and the idea behind the design, so we chatted with designer Surya Sajnani of Wee Gallery.  If you are a Stanford student, faculty, or staff member, and haven’t yet picked up a t-shirt, please stop by our program office in Encina West Rm. 104.

Tell us about yourself. 

I grew up in Bangalore India, and studied Chemistry, Botany and Zoology in college. My first job was with an advertising agency and I loved it. I moved on to graphic design, and eventually website marketing and design. I moved to the States in 2000, and worked as a web designer with an online faxing company based in Los Angeles. After my husband and I had our first child, we decided to start our own business so that we could have more flexible schedules. And so Wee Gallery was born. We eventually moved from California to St. Petersburg, Florida, and have been living here for 14 years. This means I have been working as a designer for more than 20 years!

What are your sources of inspiration for the CSA t-shirt design? How do the images relate to South Asian histories and cultures?

Growing up in India, it was normal to see vehicles highly decorated. Lorries (trucks), auto rickshaws, taxis and cars were often hand painted with brilliant colours, flowers added on special occasions, lights, and paper streamers. On further research, I found that Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal also had similar customs. I thought it would be the perfect representation of a custom typical to South Asia :)

What does "O.K." at the bottom of the design stand for?

In the words of Wikipedia, and confirmed by my own experience, “Horn OK Please is a phrase commonly painted on commercial vehicles like trucks, buses or local taxis in India. The purpose of the phrase is to alert a driver of a vehicle approaching from behind to sound their horn in case they wish to overtake.” Graphically, the OK is always painted in the middle, making it read “horn Please, OK?” and so that's how I represented it in our design.

What would you like CSA affiliates to remember when they are wearing your design?

To celebrate the everyday, and enjoy the beauty of all world cultures!