VARSHA RAMESH

A view of a studio interior with modern decor, featuring large windows that offer a glimpse of lush greenery outside

You often pair objects that don’t seem to belong together, like a plate from India and biscuits from Italy. What draws you to that kind of contrast?

I like putting together things that don’t necessarily have anything to do with each other. The plate is from India, a partition plate I picked up when I went home and the biscuits are from Italy. Somehow, when I placed them together, they made sense visually, even though they’re from completely different contexts.

And the wooden surface, with that hint of blue, what made you choose that combination?

I’ve always loved the relationship between browns, reds, and blues. You’ll find that palette in many of my works. The wood simply felt right; the color grounded the scene and made the rest of it come alive.

The clay in that image feels almost tactile…

it's a mix of white stoneware, terracotta, black stoneware and yellow earthenware. Since I started pottery, I’ve been drawn to photographing raw clay. I wanted to show the material itself, the texture, the way it ridges when you slice it with a wire. It’s such a simple material, yet it holds so much character.

You have a whole series with paper and stationery. What inspired that shift from organic to more structured materials?

I’ve always been drawn to stationery: the small, elegant details that people overlook. When I was in Paris, I found these limited-edition stamps from La Poste. They were scratch-and-sniff, and when you scratched them, they smelled like baguettes! I loved how playful that was.

Around the same time, I bought some stationery from Present & Correct in London. Both came in these beautifully designed packages. When I layered them together, the papers and textures just worked visually.

Yes, I collect scissors. There’s something sculptural about them. I love photographing design that feels both everyday and precise.

There’s also a pair of scissors in the photo…

You have a whole series with paper and stationery. What inspired that shift from organic to more structured materials?

There’s also a pair of scissors in the photo…

Yes, I collect scissors. I love photographing design that feels both everyday and precise.

Then there’s the picnic set. it feels nostalgic, almost playful.

i found it in a thrift shop in vienna. everything fits perfectly into itself, it’s compact, practical, stackable. i liked the rhythm of that form. the idea of stackability keeps coming back in my work… maybe because it’s about creating quiet order from everyday chaos.

You often pair objects that don’t seem to belong together, like a plate from India and biscuits from Italy. What draws you to that kind of contrast?

I like putting together things that don’t necessarily have anything to do with each other. The plate is from India, a partition plate I picked up when I went home, and the biscuits are from Italy. Somehow, when I placed them together, they made sense visually, even though they’re from completely different contexts.

And the wooden surface, with that hint of blue. what made you choose that combination?

it's a mix of white stoneware, terracotta, black stoneware and yellow earthenware. Since I started pottery, I’ve been drawn to photographing raw clay. I wanted to show the material itself: the texture, the way it ridges when you slice it with a wire. It’s such a simple material, yet it holds so much character.

The clay in that image feels almost tactile…

Then there’s the picnic set… it feels nostalgic, almost playful.

i found it in a thrift shop in vienna. everything fits perfectly into itself, it’s compact, practical, stackable. i liked the rhythm of that form. the idea of stackability keeps coming back in my work — maybe because it’s about creating quiet order from everyday chaos.

one: porsche macan at bonanza cafe, berlin

two: porsche x pantone

three: Porsche x Soho Farm House

four: sensai, images from various campaigns 2024-25

five: porsche x tommaso spinzi

six: Porsche x La Marzocco, Martini Racing

porsche macan at bonanza cafe, berlin

porsche x pantone

Porsche x Soho Farm House

sensai, various campaigns 2024-25

porsche x tommaso spinzi

Porsche x La Marzocco, Martini Racing

Some of your images are more abstract, like the liquid textures or the translucent fruit. What’s the story behind those?

Do you often shoot without a specific goal?

Yes. Not every image needs to be bold or composed. Some are there to introduce variety or softness. They let me see materials differently.

And the fruit slices, they almost look like X-rays…

the image with the fluid textures comes from a test shoot, likely balsamic vinegar and oil. i was drawn to the shapes that emerge as the two liquids resist one another, using a star filter to exaggerate the highlights. it wasn’t about making a finished piece, more about experimenting with texture.

That’s what I was going for. I wanted to explore translucency… to see light pass through things we usually take for granted. The grapefruit especially fascinated me. It looked like a world inside itself, almost cellular, glowing from within.

Let’s talk about the sink image… it feels intimate and quiet. Where was that taken?

In a cabin in Maribor, Slovenia, during the pandemic.. It’s one of those photos that just happened, our wine from the night before, our coffee from the morning. I poured out the leftover wine, and the way it collected in the sink, with the light dipping into the lower parts, was beautiful. It’s a small domestic moment, but it captures that stillness we all felt during that time.

Let’s talk about the sink image, it feels intimate and quiet. Where was that taken?

In a cabin in Maribor, Slovenia, during the pandemic.. It’s one of those photos that just happened: our wine from the night before, our coffee from the morning. I poured out the leftover wine, and the way it collected in the sink, with the light dipping into the lower parts, was beautiful. It’s a small domestic moment, but it captures that stillness we all felt during that time.

Some of your images are more abstract, like the liquid textures or the translucent fruit. What’s the story behind those?

Do you often shoot without a specific goal?

Yes. Not every image needs to be bold or composed. Some are there to introduce variety or softness. They let me see materials differently.

And the fruit slices… they almost look like X-rays…

That’s what I was going for. I wanted to explore translucency, to see light pass through things we usually take for granted. The grapefruit especially fascinated me. It looked like a world inside itself, almost cellular, glowing from within.

Your final works return to clay… there’s a sense of coming full circle.

yes, it felt right to end there. one of the images features blocks of nerikomi clay, a japanese technique that combines different coloured clay to create marbled patterns. here, nerikomi clay is sliced and stacked, creating a textured cross-section. the crinkled plastic sheet, normally used to wrap clay to keep it from drying out, is also featured alongside the clay, as it has a marbling effect of its own.

the last image shows clay and the tools that shape it, a sponge, a wooden rib, a wire cutter. they’re all used, marked with red clay. i wanted to show that wear – the residue, the texture, the marks of use.

It’s a beautiful closing. grounded, material, personal.

true, although it is an exploration that is ongoing and constantly shapeshifting.

in conversation with Varsha ramesh October 2025, vienna

Your final works return to clay, there’s a sense of coming full circle.

the last image shows clay and the tools that shape it… a sponge, a wooden rib, a wire cutter. they’re all used, marked with red clay. i wanted to show that wear – the residue, the texture, the marks of use.

It’s a beautiful closing. grounded, material, personal.

true, although it is an exploration that is ongoing and constantly shapeshifting.

in conversation with Varsha ramesh

October 2025, vienna