When September 4th was announced the date for the canonisation of Blessed Mother Teresa, the Archdiocese of Calcutta wasted no time in celebrating her entrance into sainthood. The Archdiocese has planned events like a music and film show, symposiums, a drawing competition and art exhibition to enlighten people about the life of the soon-to-be saint.
To complete the event called ‘Celebrating Mother Teresa’, the Director of the Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Calcutta approached Karen Vaswani, a graphic designer from Mahim, to design the event’s official logo. “When you get an opportunity like that you don’t turn it down,” Karen tells us.
Soon, her logo was chosen the official logo for Mother Teresa’s canonisation by the Vatican. “I was thrilled!,” exclaims Vaswani “Just doing it for Calcutta was huge.”
Vaswani began conceptualising the design with the theme for the canonisation chosen by the Vatican – Carrier of God’s Tender and Merciful Love, which is in keeping with this Holy Year of Mercy. Keeping in mind that the logo would be presented on different mediums, she decided to keep it neat and simple. After extensive research, she chose a classic pose most associated with Mother Teresa – with a child in her arms. With that image in mind she designed the logo in two colours – blue, of course, the colour of the border of Mother Teresa’s sari, and gold.
Music has always been Karen’s passion and along with freelancing as a graphic designer, she is a part of a five-member band called Rocking Marmalade. News about the logo being selected for the canonisation by the Vatican came as a pleasant surprise not only to Karen but to her friends as well, all of whom knew her only as a musician and the Parish choir conductor. Right now as Karen delights in her work, she also prepares for a performance by her choir group – Victory Chorus Line – at the NCPA.