Shruti Gunupuru

Graduates

Master of Design in Designed Objects

shrutigunupuru.myportfolio.com

Shruti Gunupuru communicates her need to help others through her designs. She obtained her BA Hons in Product Design from Singapore and currently a graduate in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Over the years, she has explored digital design, fabrication as well as furniture making, however, she relentlessly felt that she was not able to aid others the way she intended to. During graduate school, she was able to find her focus, which is tackling the taboo topic of mental health issues. Her long-term goal is to help individuals take control of their emotions and to communicate their feelings with one another through the help of products. She thinks communication is key and it will help bring people to come together and look out for one another.

The Sumir, 2016, Leather and plastic, 10 x 1.5in., Photo by Shruti Gunupuru

For the AI gloves to work remotely, it depeds on cryptography - coding which is also known for being used for bank tokens. The code will be updated to the motherboard of the gloves to it can be used through any device which has a USB port

Pause, 2015, Stainless steel and acrylic, 34 x 19 x 19 in., Photo by Shruti Gunupuru

The concept of this project was the word pause; it could mean a number of things however, as a dancer and someone who likes to be social - my meaning of pause was a table with an ice bucket in the middle of the tabletop for people to pick up or put their bottle in the ice to let it chill while they take a second for themselves. The design is inspired by the British designer, Tom Dixon and would be an addition to his ecosystem due to the wire design and concept of this project.

Forgotten Spaces, 2019, Poplar Wood, 20 x 10 x 10 in,. Photo by Shruti Gunupuru

Forgotten Spaces was inspired by the living spaces in Sweden and Denmark, the minimal amount of furniture pieces that the apartments and houses consist of. The project photographs shown below are of foldable tables which are usually places on balcony railings and are folded pit during meals if the individuals are sitting out in the balcony. The idea to fill a forgotten space is the concept of this project.

The Lantern Table, 2020, Poplar Wood, 28 x 6 x 18 in., Photo by Shruti Gunupuru

The Lantern Table is a multipurpose side table which plays with the light and shadow. The intricate design on the side panels and tabletop are inspired by contemporary Indonesian carvings. All the carvings are handmade however, with the help of technology and the concept of playing with shadow and light. The side table is a little taller than the average height of study tables; the main purpose of the table is to be presented as multipurpose home décor. The concept of playing with light and shadows is inspired by the Indonesian culture, shadow puppets – it is well known throughout Bali, Jakarta and Java.

Control Collection, 2019, 3D Printing and copper metal, 1 x 1 in., Photo by Shruti Gunupuru

Control is a collection of 4 pendants which help individuals control their anxiety attacks and emotions at their own comfort. This collection is small and portable, types of products that will not be visible to the naked eye as, it is supposed to be camouflaged and be ready of use when the user needs it.

Throughout my years of studying design, I have developed a passion for making products for individuals who suffer from mental health issues. It is a huge taboo in many countries and is something that I would like to tackle to make products that can be used daily to make one be able to speak up about their issues or even find a way to deal with them.

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