IRANI CAFE

“I wanted to commemorate the Irani Cafes of Bombay with this object. I first started going to these cafes with my dad when I was a kid. Back then Irani cafes were everywhere, most neighbourhoods had them. Over time they couldn't sustain themselves and many shut down. After I got older and started discovering Bombay on my own - I revisited some of these iconic cafes and fell in love with them. The old walls, bentwood chairs and distinctive aesthetics drew me in, while the snacks made me want to come back. This is an attempt to document the cafes that still exist. While researching, I came across the wooden reserved signs found in many cafes, along with the other peculiar things you see there. I was exploring making geometric shapes in ceramic at that point and thought it'd be fun to make it. I reimagined the sign and collaborated with some great people to create this map. The sign is handbuilt with clay and the map is RISO printed on paper.”