“We’re constantly balancing cultural heritage with technological innovation,” says Santanu Hazarika, a multidisciplinary visual artist and the creative genius behind vivo’s stunning mural designs. His artwork brings India’s rich legacy to life, blending traditional elements with modern design.

Over the past decade, vivo India has focused on creating smartphones tailored to Indian consumers, combining innovation with an India-centric approach. To deepen its connection with art and innovation, vivo launched the ‘vivo Design Collective,’ an initiative bridging the brand with India’s design ecosystem. This program fosters collaboration with budding designers to merge technology and India’s rich artistic heritage.

In its inaugural year, vivo partnered with Santanu Hazarika, who curated a digital mural symbolizing the fusion of India’s cultural roots and its modern identity. His work reflects vivo’s commitment to innovation while honoring tradition.

In this exclusive interview, Santanu shares his creative process, exploring how he seamlessly merges the past and the future to embody India’s evolving design philosophy.

A portrait of Santanu Hazarika in his studio

Q. Santanu, your mural for vivo is a stunning fusion of tradition and technology. What inspired this unique approach, and how did you weave India’s cultural heritage into your design?

A. In creating this mural, I wanted to showcase India’s unique harmony between its deep-rooted traditions and rapid technological growth. I drew inspiration from elements deeply embedded in Indian culture—mythological stories, ancient architecture, and traditional dance. I combined these timeless elements with digital design, a medium of the future.

Central to the mural is a cyborg elephant symbolizing progress, resilience, and wisdom in Indian mythology. But by making it a cyborg, I wanted to show that our cultural symbols aren’t just relics of the past, they’re part of the future too. The elephant carries architectural structures from ancient India, symbolizing how our traditions are not something we discard but something we carry forward.

Anchoring the mural are arches, symbolizing the seamless integration of aesthetic elegance and structural integrity found in advanced engineering and design. The arch has been decorated with pigeons, that reflect human adaptability in urban landscapes.

Through this mural I aim to celebrate India’s dynamic identity – a nation rooted in heritage yet boldly advancing into the future.

Q. Your design seems to narrate the story of India’s evolving identity. How do you see the coexistence of tradition and technology in your work?

A. While creating something, I see tradition as the foundation, much like how vivo India embraces its cultural roots in its design philosophy. India’s cultural symbols, myths, and ancient structures are deeply intertwined with our modern identity. But technology gives us the platform to reinterpret and present them in new ways. By taking those symbols—like dance gestures or architectural columns—and translating them into a digital canvas, I feel like I’m creating a space where the past isn’t static. Instead, it’s living, evolving, and becoming part of the world, we’re building today.

Q. When designing this mural, were there specific cultural symbols or regions that particularly stood out to you as representations of India’s identity?

A. India has immense diversity—there’s no single symbol that encapsulates it all. But one thing that has always stood out to me is the power of storytelling. I chose to focus on symbols that have stood the test of time.

For instance, the Makar is a popular sea creature from Indian mythology, often depicted as half mammal-half fish. Seen in traditional Indian architecture, but in this mural I reimagined it with embedded wires and circuits. Its dual nature, drawing from land and sea, mirrors India’s ability to honor its heritage while embracing a global, forward-thinking role.

Another element the Hamsasya Mudra, a hand gesture rooted in Indian classical dance and spirituality, represents the swan’s beak and symbolizes purity, grace, and discernment. In this mudra, the thumb and forefinger touch to form a circle, while the remaining fingers are extended gracefully. Hamsasya Mudra, in the contemporary era, signifies the blending of ancient wisdom with modern advancements, in a recurring loop.

I feel both art and innovation thrive by staying dynamic, inclusive and relevant, and the symbols I have embodied in this mural represent this core thought.

A collage consisting of the elements from the mural commissioned by Santanu Hazarika for the vivo Design Collective

Q. As an artist, how do you find that balance between staying true to cultural roots while embracing innovation, especially in collaborations like this one with vivo?

A. It’s definitely a constant balancing act, especially in collaborations like this with vivo India. On one hand, my inspiration always draws from India’s rich cultural heritage—whether it’s ancient motifs, symbols, or stories passed down through generations.

The tools I have today are drastically different. When I work on a digital canvas, I have endless possibilitiesbut the challenge is in execution. The goal is to take these traditional elements and present them in a way that feels innovative and relevant for today’s world.

With vivo India’s technology, there’s a similar philosophy. The brand doesn’t just look to create the latest tech for the sake of it; it focuses on integrating cutting-edge innovations while staying deeply connected to the core of India’s cultural identity. In the same way, I try to honor our past but give it a platform where it can grow, evolve, and thrive in a modern context.

Q. What was one of the most challenging aspects of creating this mural, and what was the most rewarding?

A. When it comes to challenges, the most obvious one was summarizing all the various cultures, themes, and references that represent India in a single piece of artwork. The challenge was in doing so without excluding any important elements, while also maintaining an inclusive language and approach. Finding a design that could be understood and appreciated across different languages, cultures, and backgrounds was a bit tricky.

However, the most rewarding part for me was the artwork itself. The true reward came from bringing the vision of vivo and the artwork together in a way that connected with the broader campaign. Working with vivo India added a special layer to this process. As my mural brought ancient traditions into the future showing how the past and future can exist together, each one enhancing the other.

Q. Looking ahead, where do you see art and technology going in India’s design future? How will these fields continue to influence each other?

A. Looking forward, I believe art and technology in India’s design landscape will continue to influence each other in meaningful ways. For a long time, we’ve had a colonial influence on our design—our architecture, clothing, and even our daily lives were shaped by Western ideas. But now, we’re moving away from that. We’re rediscovering our identity and reconnecting with our traditional forms, art, and heritage. What’s exciting is that we’re blending these with technology, modernizing them in ways that feel authentic to our roots but also forward-thinking. In a way, we’re redefining what design means for India—making it more local, more original, and more connected to who we are today.