Mumbai: The canonization of Mother Teresa in Rome on September 4 has a proud Mumbai connection. The official logo chosen by the Vatican for use worldwide has been created by Mahim graphic designer, Karen Vaswani.
It bears the classic pose of Mother gazing lovingly at a child she is carrying in her arms. The lines are swift and flowing, and only blue and gold have been used.
Vaswani said, “My intention was to keep it simple as the logo will be used across different media, including print and digital, and social networks. It should be easy to reproduce, which is why I have not used a photograph. Most prominent corporate logos like Apple, Windows or Microsoft rely on fonts or on one character, rather than ornate or complicated designs.”
Vaswani is a professional graphic designer in her early forties. She worked with Grey Worldwide for over seven years and is now a freelance artist. She said, “The archdiocese of Kolkata approached me to design a logo for the canonisation celebrations in that city in April. But both Sr Prema, who heads the Missionaries of Charity, and Fr Brian, who is the postulator in Rome, liked it so much that they approved it for use internationally. I was thrilled to hear that.”
Fr Brian Kolodiejchuk is the postulator for the beatification and canonization of Mother Teresa.
Over three days, Vaswani designed a few options, using similar images of Mother holding an infant. In the one selected, she wore a benign smile and a loving gaze. “The logo theme came from the Vatican. Mother Teresa is being canonized during the ongoing Year of Mercy, as declared by Pope Francis. I was told to incorporate a line that reads, ‘Mother Teresa: Carrier of God’s Tender and Merciful Love’. Understandably, the visual had to match that sentiment,” Vaswani said.
Although she received the news of her selection in April, the designer refrained from publicising the honour. “I only informed my family. Three days ago, though, a friend found an article saying my logo had been chosen and circulated it on WhatsApp. Since then, I am inundated with congratulatory messages and phone calls,” she said.
Vaswani, who participates in church projects has her own choir, Choir in Victory Chorus Line. It has been selected to perform at a celebratory event in Mother’s honour at the NCPA Theatre on September 4, The Times of India reported.
Meanwhile, there were reports that singer Usha Uthup has been invited by the Pope to the Vatican as an Ambassador from Bengal where Mother Teresa spent her life. Uthup will sing two songs that she has composed before a world audience at the ceremony.
Fr Joe Pereira, who runs the Kripa deaddiction centre in Bandra, has also been invited to the ceremony. The elderly priest, who still keeps a hectic travel schedule, is in China and will return to Mumbai on August 27 before leaving for Rome.