At the Intersection of Everything I do

Doors of Yucatán

In February of 2026, my yearly travels took me to Mexico. With a background in architecture, passion in architecture, and an absolute love for cool doors, Yucatán was a delight. I walked through the streets of Mérida, Izamal, Valladolid, Tulum, and Cancún stopping every few steps falling in love with the prettiness of these portals. Of course, I came back home and did a sketch analysis (pictured below)…but hey, here are all the doors in all their colours, shapes, textures, and cool grill designs. :)

Design, ArchitectureHemalatha VenkataramanSeptember 23, 2026Mexico, doors, designComment

The Many Manifestations of Patriarchy in ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’ — The Social, the Religious, and the Cultural

This article is an in-depth analysis of the 2021 regional South-Indian Malayalam movie ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’ and It examines the socio-cultural and religious manifestations of patriarchy in the Indian society. I have approached and analyzed this movie using my mental models and some secondary research on subjects of menstruation and sex in the Indian society. Please note that this essay contains spoilers. If you haven’t watched the movie, I’d totally recommend watching it (link)—it also has subtitles for those who do not understand Malayalam. I have used several screenshots from the movie to make/support my arguments—they do not belong to me and are only used as a part of this study.

Books Tryst 2020 | An Infographic Poster of all the Books I Read in 2020

2020 has been an unforgiving year—an international pandemic, natural disasters, a tough socio-political situation, to name a few highlights of the year gone by. We couldn’t hug our friends, go to art shows or cinemas, or catch a bite to eat at our favourite restaurants. It’s been a taxing year, 2020, throwing all our plans for a toss. That said, it has also given us more time than ever to connect with ourselves, consciously build our relationships in new ways, and reconnect with our hobbies which “life” usually gets in the way of. I designed this infographic poster to quickly highlight my source of comfort for the year 2020—my books. I am usually doing a lot of secondary and primary research on books, literature, social issues, and movies in my everyday life. I figured it might be fun to bring some of those to the forefront and share it with y’all.

DesignHemalatha VenkataramanJanuary 3, 2021infographics, infographic poster, design, design research, reading, booksComment

Madharchod to Madam: Why Vijay Devarakonda’s Movies ‘Geetha Govindam’ and ‘Arjun Reddy’, and its Widespread Reception Should Frighten You

This article is an examination of Devarakonda’s two movies, Geetha Govindam and Arjun Reddy, that which seems to have taken over South India by a wave in its so-called ‘romance’. They are claimed as the bold experiments of the actor in choosing such radically different movies. But…when you distill the essence of these two characters, they’re not antithesis (as claimed) of one another but just different personas of the same archetype of Indian men…patriarchal, misogynistic, and entitled. Here’s why these movies should jolt you.

Hemalatha VenkataramanJuly 23, 2019movies, analysis, patriarchy, feminism, equality, filmsComment

Rolls Down Like Water: The American Civil Rights Movement Exhibit | A Scroll Doodle Journey

Now, as a person who hops around museum and takes her own time like nobody’s business, I went in armed with my watercolors and ink, but also my new iPad for digital sketching to experience museums the way I do- alone, and over a long period of time. I have to be honest that despite me processing and internalizing that exhibit in ways I know best (museum visual note-taking and drawing!), I left the place feeling extremely heavy.

Indian Women Navigating Urban Spaces, and Altered Everyday Behaviours due to Sexual Harassment

I asked women to share the ‘little’ things they do every day to protect themselves from sexual harassment on the streets of India (and the world) and share their #MeToo stories. I then researched the sh*t out of it.