Aishwarya Manivannan
Aishwarya Manivannan is an artist, designer, educationist, and Silambam champion. For the past 12 years, as the founder and creative director of Maisha Studio, Aishwarya has mentored thousands of students in creativity, design thinking, art and design specialisations. Aishwarya’s path-breaking pedagogy combines the creative potential of young artists and designers with their innate capacity for growth, transformative change, and social impact. Her relational and learner-centric pedagogy has anchored curriculums and teachings through her leadership at multiple premier institutions and educational reform projects. She has led multiple academic forums and collaborated with diverse national and international organisations with a focus on creativity and pedagogy.
A three-time TEDx speaker, winner of the Association of British Scholars Artist Grant and panelist at the ThinkEdu Conclave, Aishwarya has won several awards for her work in creative education and Silambam. She has worked with stalwarts like AR Rahman, Bharat Bala, and the Manchester Museum, among others, and has been featured in Vogue India, History Channel, and other leading print and online news media.
Additionally, as a Silambam practitioner, Aishwarya represented India in the World, Asian, South Asian, and National Silambam Championships between 2015 and 2017, winning 23 medals including 10 gold and 2 individual championships. Her work champions the ancient martial art form and its persisting contemporary relevance. Aishwarya explores the multiple facets of Silambam by fusing art, performance, technology, and music, creating brand-new impressions of an age-old art form. Through research, documentation, and artistic collaboration, Aishwarya has popularised Silambam across the world.
