Found In My Pocket

Illustration Based Installation

Stories with | Geeta Timsina, Gitartha Rajkowa, Malhar Indulkar, Phuntsog Dolma , Tahaj Hussain, Joyshree Gogoi
Artist-Designer | Saniya Kulkarni

Concept Note

Learning doesn’t necessarily have to start with a syllabus or a content’s page. This project is an inquiry on how learning happens beyond textbooks and classrooms—through observation, memory, rituals, play, and everyday encounters with people and place. Rooted in stories from Geeta, Gitartha Rajkowa, Malhar Indulkar, Phuntsog Dolma, Joyshree & Tahaj, it challenges what is considered valuable knowledge and invites audiences to reflect on their own ways of learning. Through a blend of storytelling, illustration, and immersive experience, the project follows a young girl who steps out of her classroom and into the world—chasing ants, listening to trees, and collecting ordinary objects that carry extraordinary meaning. Her journey becomes a narrative thread that ties together five real stories, each revealing a different way of learning: through listening, outdoors, community, games, and rituals. This project doesn’t oppose formal education—it expands the idea of where and how learning can happen. By spotlighting small, often overlooked moments of discovery, it shifts the focus from instruction to experience, from knowing to noticing. Ultimately, this project aims to quietly provoke the question of “What learning is valued, and why?”

About

Saniya Kulkarni

Saniya Kulkarni is a visual storyteller passionate about illustrating narratives that explore the intricate systems and networks shaping communities and cultures. Her work focuses on creating visuals that break down complex ideas, resonate deeply, and communicate effectively with intended audiences. Through thoughtful storytelling and design, she aims to make the invisible visible and the complex accessible.

Geeta Timsina

Growing up in Bordekorai, near the Nameri and Pakke Tiger Reserves, Geeta’s days began with temple bells and the sharp call of the myna. Her home sat facing giant trees that had stood for ages, quiet witnesses to childhood games, festivals, and everyday chatter.

Gitartha Rajkowa

A Responsible Tourism Fellow with Canopy Collective, Gitartha often found himself wandering near Rangapani village, especially to Koklabari seed farm, a place he fondly calls a bird paradise. For Gitartha, being outdoors isn’t just about observing, it’s about learning the quiet signals that nature always offers.

Malhar Indulkar

Working with local landowners in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, Malhar has been building quiet momentum for conservation. He supports ecotourism efforts in Nirvhal village and believes that real change begins by listening, sharing field experiences, and accepting that it’ll take time.

Phuntsog Dolma

A botanist and author of Plants of Ladakh, Phuntsog works with the Sheep Husbandry Department in Leh. Her journey with plants began not in a classroom, but beside her grandfather, her first teacher, who passed down his love for the mountains and the flora that thrive there. Today, she carries that legacy forward, sharing the same quiet wonder with the next generation in Ladakh.

Tahaj Hussain

In 2022 the Green Hub fellowship opened up a new path for Tahaj. That same year, he co-founded Green School in Gobuk, creating a space where children could learn through games, drawing, and the outdoors. For him, hope looks like small actions growing into something much bigger—sometimes, even without us realising it.

Joyshree Gogoi

An educator and social work graduate from Assam, Joyshree co-leads Green School in Gobuk, a space that blends play, stories, and the outdoors. Her earliest lessons came from her grandfather, whose tales about birds and their names still stay with her. As she helps shape Green School today, she hopes it becomes a model that reaches far beyond one village.

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Stories That Grow

Found In My Pocket

Stories with | Geeta Timsina, Gitartha Rajkowa, Malhar Indulkar, Phuntsog Dolma , Tahaj Hussain, Joyshree Gogoi Artist-Designer | Saniya Kulkarni

Stories with | Geeta Timsina, Gitartha Rajkowa, Malhar Indulkar, Phuntsog Dolma , Tahaj Hussain, Joyshree Gogoi
Artist-Designer | Saniya Kulkarni