KN Portfolio 2024
About
 Project Index
kashinanavati@gmail.com
845.770.4502 
New York,NY








  Nice to meet you. 

  I’m Kashi, an exhibition design student with a background in gallery assistance, 
  expected to graduate from FIT's Spatial Experience Design B.F.A. program in May 2025. 

  More


Project 01Treading the ArcticExhibit Concept
Treading the Arctic takes a close look at Inuit footwear, as a form of wearable and sustainable technology. I developed this concept to focus on both sustainable material in extreme terrain, and appreciation for Inuit ways of living. It features projection mapping, interactive displays, physical computing, and stories directly from Inuit community members. I spoke to members of Indigenous communities while designing this exhibit, and integrated their feedback into the final renderings.

Software:
SketchUp
Enscape
AutoCAD
Illustrator
Photoshop



I started with my primary focus in mind, then explored approaches through pages of sketching. I blocked out visitor flow, and created engagement diagrams for interactive displays. I developed a floor plan and elevations, then designed exhibit graphics. The concept was finalized through a 3D model and renderings. 

Media Highlights:

The exhibit features a rope woven with conducive thread, so it can function as a capacitive touch sensor. The sensor triggers a projection of an Inuit speaker demonstrating the usage of rope in snowshoe construction. The video explains how the material is used, and different types of Inuit knots. This brings a dynamic and contextual level to an ordinarily static texture interactive. 

A wall relief plaster is used to created a topographical map of Alaska. A projection map responds with dynamic projections. The colors and projection movements reflect real time weather in Alaska. 



Project 02Elements Festival Earth StageFabrication and Production (Internship at ARCH)

ARCH Production & Design is an award-winning fabrication firm, with work spanning many industries. Some of their clients include Bergdorf Goodman, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Museum of Sex, Christie's, among many others. While interning there, I was able to work on the production of the Earth Stage for  Elements Music Festival. My roles within the internship were to create detailed 3D renderings for clients and assist with large scale fabrication and woodworking. I worked closely with Evan Collier, lead fabricator, on the production of this stage.

Woodworking
CNC Routing
Painting


Process:

I helped create CAD files for CNC routing on wood. We then blocked the wood pieces for painting, using the 3D model as reference. I then worked with a team to paint the stage according to our diagram. 




Showed on 08-15-23
Summer 2023


Project 03Picturing Light: Artists Explore LuminonsityExhibition Installation

Picturing Light was an exhibition at FIT’s 
 Art & Design Gallery. I worked closely with the gallery’s curators Anne Finklestien and Fawz Kabra, and exhibition designer Lobsang Tsewang, to mount 30+  labels, position and install artists’ work, and apply large-scale vinyl. The exhibition featured over 30 artists, and explored light as the subject matter from both an artistic and scientific perspective.

Mounting 
 Media Installation
 Vinyl Application





Performace art by Corinna Brown



Opened 09-26-2024
Fall 2024




Project 4Elizabeth St. GardenSignage System & Rebrand
Elizabeth St. Garden is currently under threat of destruction. Maintaining New York City’s green spaces is vital for our city’s future. This project integrates a new wayfinding system and branding to further the visitor experience within the park. The signage system features an interactive orientation map, an identification sign, and an interpretive sign. A cohesive icon set and color palette easily communicate key places within the garden, which is continued into the signage system.

Software:
Blender
Rhino
Illustrator
Photoshop






I began by developing a new visual identity for the garden, then created a map of the garden. I color coded the map to fit the graphic identity. I then created a 3D signage system to communicate information to the garden’s visitors. The signage system focuses on improving wayfinding for the visitor, and highlighting what the garden has to offer. 


Project 05Chessboard PedestalDesign & Fabrication 
The objective for this project was to design a pedestal that meets both practical and aesthetic criteria. The displayed object is an Indonesian hand-engraved solid brass chess board. The pedestal structure references the rook piece from the set. It has forty-three pieces of 1/2" sanded, painted, and primed MDF, attached through a central base and nails. The pedestal was displayed to the public as part of an exhibition in FIT's Art & Design Gallery. 

In collaboration with Isaias Nunez, Angela Zhu, and Adrianna Gordon.

SketchUp
Illustrator
Fabrication
Woodworking

Within this project, I created a 3D model, which was used as reference to develop a CNC file. The 43 pieces were cut from 1/2” MDF. Together we sanded, primed, painted the disks with black latex paint. We attached the structure together, and finished with a gold foil trim to mimic the paint on the chess piece. 



Showed on 01-25-24
Winter 2024


Project 06Jean CocteauExhibition Concept 
Jean Cocteau is a key influence on contemporary film, art and screenwriting. This exhibition brings public attention to the core of the artist, through a variety of raw artwork, firsthand accounts, and details of his complex life. It explores his homosexuality, addiction, artistic philosophy and legacy. The open concept layout features a range of surrealist, avant-garde, and Dadaist engagement points at varying heights finished in all white, to immerse the visitor in a truly Cocteuan experience. 

SketchUp
Dimension
Twinmotion
Illustrator

I started with my concept and big idea. I extensively researched his life and works. From there, I created multi-sensory engagement points, storyboards, and mapped visitor flow. I developed my CAD drawings and 3D model for presentation. 

Big Idea: Jean Cocteau was a multidisciplinary artist who dedicated his life to illustrating his truths about humanity through various mediums, often utilizing surrealism and metaphor.



Engagement points convey three primary exhibition goals: 

  1. Cognitive:  information on Cocteau’s personal life
  2. Affective:  featuring or focused on evocative artistic work
  3. Personal:  empathetic elements create connection with the visitor

Approach: The exhibition immerses visitors in Jean Cocteau’s variety of work, featuring key films, plays, and drawings. Through various activation points, the visitor is educated about his personal life, artistic work, and legacy. 


The exhibition utilizes the David Zwirner Gallery floor plan.  
©Kashi Nanavati 2024Graduating Portfoliokashinanavati@gmail.com