A designer by profession, Kanika Kumar transitioned into this role after completing her education as an Architect. She designs sets and installations for various kinds of festivals, weddings or simply every organized event with an audience set appreciative of the magic that can be created with temporary architecture. Studying architecture has helped her immensely hone her craft. She believes that architecture and designing are intertwined, and the innate knowledge that comes with understanding the basics of architecture has helped her greatly in becoming an accomplished designer. An architect’s technical understanding and sensitivity to design is a prerequisite to art direction and production. The process followed to design a building or detailing the interiors is quite similar to that of designing an event set or just an ephemeral lounge for a wedding. Studying Architecture has provided Kanika with a sense of space and scale.
Stepping out into this unconventional domain wasn’t a cakewalk for Kanika. She faced cultural challenges initially which is common amongst many Indian households. In Indian culture, parents expect the children to stick to proven and more mainstream renowned professions. Her parents were skeptical about her choice of switching from permanent to temporary architecture due to the uncertainty of future potential. After crossing the first hurdle, there was no turning back from that point. Once she convinced her parents, the journey was rather easier than expected. Being a graduate in the field of architecture, she was in high demand in the event design industry. Currently the biggest challenge she is facing is to keep up with the ever-changing industry trends. Kanika swears by the fact that “your work speaks for yourself.”
Architecture requires intensive study and consistent hard work to cover and master a vast variety of coursework. However, it is also extremely rewarding. Being an architect helps in branching out to so many visually creative fields and careers. The possibilities are endless. In her message to the students of architecture, she says that-
“The multidisciplinary subjects that you take up lead to various career options that you can pursue after your graduation. I would also advise to pick your favorite subjects and learn everything about them. Being an expert in any of the specific dimensions will pay you well once you enter the job market or start out on a venture.
Be Well !