Anantaya Store hosted Banana Chat 10.0, an evening of dialogue, ideas, and exchange that highlighted the intersections of design, innovation, and the future. The session was led by Ar. Amisha Thanawala, Co-Founder of Urban Studio, who shared insights into her work on abstraction, and the evolving nature of design practice.
Amisha, in her engaging presentation, spoke about how abstraction is not about simplifying but about finding clarity within complexity. “Design must learn to respond to shifting contexts. What remains constant is the need for human sensitivity and imagination,” she shared.
Amisha highlighted their explorations in abstraction and contextual design. From jewel-inspired motifs at Taj Devi Ratan to a garlanded lobby at One Avighna Park and transformative galleries at Odyssey Art, their work seamlessly merges global design with local craft, sustainability, and cultural depth underscoring the power of contextual architecture and the creative potential of abstraction as a design tool.
Geetanjali Kasliwal, Founder of Anantaya, moderated the session & emphasised the importance of platforms like Banana Chat in nurturing dialogue. “Conversations like these allow design to grow beyond the drawing board. They remind us that design is not just about objects, but about the way we imagine futures together. This is what Jaipur’s creative community needs places to listen, question, and shape ideas,” she said.
The event welcomed architects, designers, students, and cultural thinkers into an informal yet evocative conversation. Distinguished attendees included Yunus Khimani, RK Singhal, Gyan Prakash, Prof. N.S. Rathore, Ar. Rekha Nemani, Ar.Preethi, Kavita, Nischal Jain, Vipul Verma, Manisha Bhargav, Girish and Jayati Goenka.