The University of Florida (UF) Alumni Association will recognize Shantanu Suman (MFA Graphic Design ’13) as the College of the Arts’ 2015 Outstanding Young Alumni during the Outstanding Young Alumni Awards Breakfast on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at Emerson Alumni Hall in Gainesville, Florida. Suman is an art director and graphic designer from India.
The UF Alumni Association established the Outstanding Young Alumni Award to recognize alumni who are 35 years of age or younger and have distinguished themselves in their profession and community.
“Shantanu was simply an outstanding graduate student in our MFA program and, in the short time since his graduation, he has gone on to forge a successful career as an internationally recognized designer,” said Richard Heipp, director of UF’s School of Art + Art History. “He co-founded Open Door Design Studio (ODDS) in Asheville, North Carolina. ODDS recently partnered with Kohler Co. to create designs to be implemented in New Delhi, India, for the ‘Reinvent the Toilet Challenge.’ His innovative approach to this design solution was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and was selected to be featured in Uneven Growth a Museum of Modern Art publication. We are very proud to welcome Shantanu back to the School of Art + Art History.”
Before earning his MFA from UF, Suman worked as an art director in the Indian advertising industry. While there, his work earned appreciation at various international venues including the Cannes Advertising Awards, Design and Art Direction, Clio Advertising Awards, Asia Pacific Advertising Awards and Spikes Asia Advertising Awards. His work has been featured in publications including Communication Arts, Creative Review and The Work and Luerzer’s Archive. In 2011, Suman was ranked in the 269th position in the all Asia creative ranking by Campaign Brief Asia magazine.
While a graduate student at UF, Suman worked with his team to make “Horn Please”—a documentary film about Indian truck art. Already screened at various international venues in London, Miami and Mumbai to name a few, the documentary film was an official selection at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival 2014, New York Indian Film Festival 2014, the Automotive International Arts & Film Festival 2014, Chicago South Asian Film Festival 2013 and the River to River: Florence Indian Film Festival 2013.
“I feel honored to receive the college’s Outstanding Young Alumni award because, for me, it’s a reminder of the hope and belief that my family, faculty and friends entrusted me with,” said Suman. “It’s a reminder of my journey thus far, and also the one ahead that awaits.”
To see some of Suman’s recent work, visit www.opendoordesignstudio.com. To view previous award winners, visit ufalumni.ufl.edu/youngalumni/outstandingyoungalumniawards.aspx.
About the College of the Arts
The College of the Arts, previously known as the College of Fine Arts, is one of the 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The College of the Arts offers baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its three institutionally-accredited schools — the School of Art + Art History, School of Music and School of Theatre + Dance. The college is home to the Center for Arts in Medicine, Center for Arts and Public Policy, Center for World Arts, Digital Worlds Institute, University Galleries and the New World School of the Arts in Miami. More than 100 faculty members and approximately than 1,200 students work together daily to engage, inspire and create. The college hosts more than 300 performances, exhibitions and events each year. Faculty and students also exhibit and perform at other local, national and international venues. To learn more, visit www.arts.ufl.edu.
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Media Contact
Leah Craig, Public Relations and Marketing Manager
University of Florida College of the Arts
Office: 352.273.1489 | Cell: 904.419.3346
lcraig@arts.ufl.edu
