IHSAN ISHAN, 244 Fifth Avenue Ste 2635, New York, NY (2026)

We create products that deepen understanding of global faiths and cultures. Design with unity. IhsanIshan Design is a multiple award winning design studio/brand that works for religious, cultural, and ethnic unity by amplifying positive, interconnected stories and celebrating global cultures all through meaningful designs, unique art, products, commissions, museum consultations, educational programs, to create understanding and appreciation. Meaningful Art. Making a Difference

08/21/2026

Sri Varalakshmi Nombu, celebrating Mahalakshmi and clearing up a few misconceptions along the way.

As a Hindu | Interfaith Chaplain, a significant part of my work is helping people better understand Hinduism, particularly where cultural customs have become confused with faith.

This is deeply personal for me. My father helped build 3 traditional Hindu temples in the US, and I grew up surrounded by temple life, ritual, art, music, flowers, and devotion.

I’ve spent my career working in art, design, fashion, beauty, museums, and luxury. For me, these worlds have never been separate from spirituality.

I connect to the Divine through beauty and the visual, why I’ve always felt such a connection to Mahalakshmi.

She embodies prosperity, abundance, beauty, love, grace, confidence, and well-being.

Varalakshmi Nombu is an opportunity to honor and celebrate her.

Hinduism is deeply misunderstood, particularly in the West. It is the world’s oldest living faith tradition, encompassing numerous philosophies, traditions, practices, and ways of understanding the Divine.

An important distinction often gets lost: Indian culture is not synonymous with Hindu faith.

Cultural traditions surrounding marriage, gender, family, or motherhood should not automatically be presented as universal Hinduism.

Reducing Varalakshmi Nombu to “married women praying for their husbands,” “women praying to have children,” or “a tradition passed from mother to daughter” excludes so many people from a Divine presence that belongs to everyone.

What about someone who isn’t married or doesn’t want children? Someone without a mother? Someone q***r or trans? A man devoted to Lakshmi? Someone who simply loves her?

Mahalakshmi belongs to all.

Hindu faith is expansive and diverse. There are many ways of believing, questioning, worshipping, experiencing, and connecting with the Divine.

May Mahalakshmi bring us abundance, not simply financial wealth, but love, confidence, beauty, generosity, opportunity, peace, and joy.

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world is one family.
Om Sri Mahalakshmi Mata Ki Jai.

08/12/2026

Last year, I was interviewed by CNN about solar eclipses. Today’s eclipse is more than an astronomical event, it is an opportunity to explore one of the world's oldest living faith traditions through a new lens.

As a Hindu and Interfaith Chaplain, I often receive questions about eclipses, astrology, and belief systems.

In this article, I explore the symbolism of Rahu (solar eclipse) and Ketu (lunar eclipse), the remarkable scientific knowledge of ancient India, the diversity of Hindu traditions, and why I believe faith should inspire compassion rather than fear.

Writing these essays is extensive. Each one takes many hours of research, writing, editing, and drawing upon my lived experience, travels, and years of studying scriptures, art, design, history, and culture.

My hope is to make Hinduism more accessible, clear up misconceptions, cultural conditioning, stigmas, generational trauma, and help people discover the deeper stories that often go untold.

📖 Read the full article:

Website: https://www.ihsanishan.com/ihsanishanblog/solareclipse

Substack: https://sangeethakowsik.substack.com/p/rahu-friend-or-foe-solar-eclipses

If you enjoy thoughtful writing on faith, museums, art, design, and intercultural understanding, I'd be honored if you subscribed to my Substack or blog and shared the article with others.

Your readership makes it possible for me to continue researching and writing these essays, and I sincerely appreciate your support.

08/05/2026

There's only so much a museum label can say.

One of the greatest gifts a museum can offer isn't just beautiful art, it's understanding.

Knowing the spiritual significance behind an artwork transforms the way we see it.

It leads to appreciation, respect, compassion, and a deeper connection with the people and traditions that created it.

Yet many visitors still leave museums with little understanding of the rich symbolism behind Dharmic art, meaning, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

Hinduism is one of the world's most diverse faiths, with countless regional traditions and ways of practice.

While traditions, practices may vary, the symbolism of many deities remains remarkably consistent.

Lord Ganesha's elephant head is far more than an artistic choice, it carries profound spiritual meaning.

As a Hindu and Interfaith Chaplain, former Head Designer at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and museum educator, my work is dedicated to helping people discover the stories that don't always fit on a gallery label.

This clip is from my recent Met Expert Talk on Household Gods: Hindu Devotional Prints, 1860–1930.

🎥 The full lecture is now available on YouTube, link in our bio

I hope it helps you see Hindu art not only as something beautiful, but as something deeply meaningful.�

07/30/2026

Have you ever noticed that when you walk through a museum, Lord Ganesha is the only sculpture surrounded by coins, sweets, prayers, little notes, and even lollipops?

I think it's one of the most beautiful things to witness.

Lord Ganesha is one of the most beloved deities in Hinduism.

Recognizable by his elephant head, he is traditionally the deity Hindus invoke first.

What amazes me is that he's loved not only by Hindus, but by people of so many different faiths, cultures, and backgrounds.

Museums welcome visitors from all over the world, and so many people feel moved to leave a small offering, a coin, a prayer, or a sweet, in front of him.

Every aspect of Lord Ganesha's form, from his elephant head and large ears to his curved trunk and the sweets he holds, carries profound spiritual symbolism.

Yet museum labels often focus primarily on the artwork itself and don't always capture the deep spiritual significance.

One common description is that Ganesha is a "pot-bellied sweet-loving deity." ��While he holds sweets, they aren't there because he simply enjoys eating them.

In Hinduism, the sweets symbolize the blessings, joy, and spiritual rewards that come from devotion. ��Reminding us that the Divine is full of sweetness, compassion, and abundance.

Because so many visitors feel a connection to Lord Ganesha, many museums displaying him now provide a designated space where people can leave offerings or prayers.

I find that incredibly sweet, no pun intended!

I hope this inspires you to pause, look a little closer, next time you encounter Lord Ganesha in a museum.�

(I'm Sangeetha Kowsik, former Head Product Designer at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hindu / Interfaith Chaplain, helping museums and visitors discover the spiritual and cultural significance of Dharmic Art)

07/07/2026

If museums don’t carry products that reflect your culture, faith, or heritage, design them yourself.

To celebrate. Household Gods: Hindu Devotional Prints, 1860–1930 Exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York we created this Lord Muruga (who is one of the most beloved deities of Hinduism) book bag and notebook.

Featuring an iconic Ravi Varma Print on the front, along with Tamil Calligraphy, meaningful story, and song on the back. Bringing together worlds of art, design, faith, and scholarship.

We believe museum objects should not only be admired, they should be understood. The stories, spiritual traditions, and communities behind these works deserve to be seen, celebrated, and shared.

When representation is missing, create it.

Lord Muruga Book Bag & Notebook available now.

Shop the collection: https://www.ihsanishan.com/shop-online/museum-collection

06/10/2026

Join us @ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Tuesday, June 23 at 3PM

I'm deeply honored to be speaking as part of the Expert Talk Series for their new exhibition, Household Gods: Hindu Devotional Prints, 1860–1930 about subjects I love the most: Art, Design, Culture, Faith, History, and Hinduism.

My gratitude to Dr. John Guy, Curator of South & Southeast Asian Art, for this invitation.

Hindu art is a lifelong passion, spent collecting prints, sculptures, and textiles across decades of travel to India, and I grew up immersed in the faith, through temple worship, scripture, and practice.

My father built three Hindu temples in the USA, including the first traditional temple in the USA built according to scriptures, The Hindu Temple Society of North America The Ganesha Temple in Flushing, NYC.

I'm the Hindu Chaplain / founder of NYU Hindu Center, a formally trained Islamic Calligrapher, my work explores how art, design, and storytelling can deepen understanding of faiths and cultures.

I spent nearly five years leading design at The Met, working with 17 curatorial departments on blockbuster exhibitions including Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, the Islamic Galleries reopening, Prada, Picasso, many others, designing nearly 25,000 products, (many still on the best seller list today) establishing an internship and mentorship program that expanded access for international students and underrepresented communities.

Through Ihsan Ishan Design, I create products, exhibitions, and experiences that educate with meaningful concepts and stories. Founded in response to the lack of representation of global cultures in museum merchandise, I set out to create work that helps audiences connect more deeply with the art, histories, faiths, and cultures they encounter, because representation matters, and learning through art and design has the power to expand our understanding of one another and the world around us.

We are launching a new book bag inspired by this exhibition, which can carry multiple heavy books, because a curator's knowledge lives in books, not just on screens.

The talk is FREE and open to the public.

📅 Tuesday, June 23 | 3:00 PM

📍 The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Asian Art Wing | Upstairs Gallery 251

I would love to see you there 🙏

https://lnkd.in/esJ7Mdtw

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