interview

In conversation with Ayushi Patni

We sat down with the artist behind our first-ever, limited-edition Chai Tin to uncover the wonders behind her work.

Part geometry, part dream-like, Bombay-based artist Ayushi Patni’s work is unmistakable. She explores the interplay of architecture, memory and myth, and her work has been shown in exhibitions across India and the UK. When we invited her to create an artwork for our Chai Tin, she turned to Bombay’s Irani cafés, capturing fragments and weaving them into a mesmerising visual treat, at once familiar and entirely new. The result is a small piece of Bombay, held in your hands.

In this interview, we sit down with Ayushi to speak about her art – soothing, almost hypnotic visual delights. She speaks of her style, her collaboration with Dishoom and what Diwali means to her. Fill up your cup and settle in.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey to becoming an artist.

I’m a visual artist who’s always been drawn to the unseen structures that shape perception – the geometries of thought, memory and rhythm that exist beneath the surface of things. Growing up in Jaipur, I was surrounded by spaces where architecture, craft and daily life intertwined, from the grand temples and forts to the intimate streets and bustling markets.

Those experiences shaped the way I read form and pattern, and how I sense the ways spaces hold both past and present. Studying in London deepened this awareness, offering new ways to translate experience into visual language. Living in Bombay now, my work continues to explore the meeting point between inner and outer worlds.

Can you shed some light on your artistic style?

My style moves between structure and intuition. Working with gouache, grid paper and found fragments, I create layered compositions where geometry meets organic flow. I often draw from urban infrastructure, sacred geometry and the anatomy of inner life. Through colour, repetition and rhythm, I try to create visual spaces that feel meditative and alive. My works are like quiet maps, tracing connections between what we see and what we feel – an invitation to pause, look closer, and sense the stillness beneath movement.

What was the inspiration behind your lovely limited-edition Chai Tin?

I turned my attention to the Irani cafés of Bombay, not as nostalgia but as an architecture that has been lived and remembered. The folding grills, tiled floors and iron latticework became visual anchors that I reimagined through my own lens. I wanted to capture both the physical and emotional memory of these spaces, infusing the essence of tea as a ritual – its rhythm through the day, its pauses, its quiet moments of gathering. The Chai Tin became a small vessel of urban memory, holding structure, colour and the beauty of the everyday.

I love the early morning visits to the phool vendor for the freshest marigolds

As someone who grew up in India, what does Diwali mean to you?

Gifting has always been one of my favourite rituals – finding something thoughtful that carries warmth and joy into another home. I love the early morning visits to the phool vendor for the freshest marigolds, decorating the house and lighting oil lamps.

What are some rituals you follow during Diwali?

Gifting has always been one of my favourite rituals – finding something thoughtful that carries warmth and joy into another home. I love the early morning visits to the phool vendor for the freshest marigolds, decorating the house and lighting oil lamps.

How are you celebrating Diwali this year?

I’ll be in Jaipur, close to family and friends!

Finally, tell us…

What’s your favourite Diwali mithai? Milk Cake.

Do you prefer powder rangoli or flower rangoli? Flower rangoli.

Best thing about Bombay during Diwali? The glow everywhere. Terracotta vendors at every corner sell diyas, and balconies and façades light up in endless strands of colour. The whole city shimmers.

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