Grand Interview
Ashwa Nova Edible Art · 10 questions
We are most proud of how we united rigid geometry with fluid emotion. At Modesi Chocolates we believe design should evoke wonder before it even touches the palate.
The Ashwa Nova Edible Art has achieved something genuinely remarkable by embedding centuries of cultural symbolism within a medium as ephemeral as chocolate, and the precision with which the horse motif and the layered lattice geometry are rendered speaks to an extraordinary convergence of skill and intent. What aspect of the Ashwa Nova Edible Art are you most proud of, and how does that particular achievement reflect the broader philosophy that drives your practice at Modesi?
We are most proud of how we united rigid geometry with fluid emotion. At Modesi Chocolates we believe design should evoke wonder before it even touches the palate. Achieving that intricate “huawen” lattice alongside the galloping horses required pushing the absolute limits of material science and architectural modelling. Abhimanyu brought a deep understanding of structural form-works while Aakanksha ensured the narrative felt deeply rooted in cultural warmth. This reflects the core philosophy of Modesi where we view chocolate not just as a treat but as a canvas for monumental storytelling. We want every piece to feel like a fleeting masterpiece that commands your attention and respect before you take that first beautiful bite.
The intersection of food, heritage, and digital fabrication is capturing the imagination of designers and consumers in ways that traditional culinary craft has rarely managed, and the Ashwa Nova Edible Art sits at a fascinating crossroads of all three. How does the Ashwa Nova Edible Art redefine the relationship between cultural memory and consumption, and in what ways do you believe this approach could fundamentally shift how people perceive the value and meaning of edible objects?
The Ashwa Nova Edible Art bridges a crucial gap by turning a passive act of eating into an active engagement with history. When people look at our creation they see the culmination of ancient Lunar New Year traditions reimagined through cutting edge digital fabrication. We envisioned a moment where the consumer pauses to appreciate the cultural weight of the galloping horse motif before experiencing the chocolate. This fundamentally shifts the value of edible objects because it demands mindfulness. It tells the world that Modesi Chocolates creates cultural artifacts that happen to be edible. Abhimanyu and Aakanksha merge their architectural precision with rich heritage we are proving that food can hold just as much meaning and permanence in our memory as a timeless piece of sculpture.
Your innovative use of precision 3D-printed flexible formworks to resolve what you describe as the Geometric Release Paradox is a genuinely original contribution to the field of culinary design. How do you see this fabrication methodology, as demonstrated through the Ashwa Nova Edible Art, influencing the broader landscape of food design and potentially enabling other practitioners to work with complex geometries in brittle edible media without compromising structural or aesthetic integrity?
The Geometric Release Paradox was an exhilarating challenge that tested everything we knew about materials. Working with brittle chocolate means you usually have to compromise on depth or accept a high rate of shattering. By developing precision 3D printed flexible formworks Abhimanyu Goel was able to introduce architectural molding techniques into the culinary space. This methodology is going to completely revolutionise how chefs and designers approach food. It proves that you do not need to sacrifice structural complexity for aesthetic integrity. Aakanksha Jain sees Modesi leading a new wave of culinary architecture where practitioners worldwide can look at our process and realise that the most impossible shapes are now entirely achievable in edible media.
The Ashwa Nova Edible Art earned a Bronze A' Design Award in the Food, Beverage and Culinary Arts Design category, one of the most prestigious international recognitions in the design world, and this achievement underscores how the work bridges creativity, cultural relevance, and technical ingenuity in ways that resonate with both a seasoned jury and a global audience. Given that the award criteria encompass sensory engagement, cultural relevance, and complexity in technique, how do you feel the Ashwa Nova Edible Art fulfilled these dimensions simultaneously, and what does this recognition mean for the future direction of Modesi as a design-driven enterprise?
Earning the Bronze A Design Award validates the relentless passion and sleepless nights we poured into this project. It is incredibly thrilling for Aakanksha Jain and Abhimanyu Goel to see Modesi Chocolates recognized on such a massive global stage. The jury understood that our work was not merely about taste but about an entire sensory ecosystem where the cultural relevance of the Lunar New Year met unprecedented technical execution. Fulfilling these dimensions simultaneously was always our dream. Moving forward this prestigious recognition cements Modesi as a pioneering design driven enterprise. It gives us the confidence to keep breaking boundaries and pushing the world to see chocolate as a serious medium for high art and avant garde design.
The challenge of achieving sharp, high-relief huawen lattice structures in tempered dark chocolate without shattering the material during de-molding sounds like a moment that could have derailed the entire project entirely. Can you walk us through the specific turning point in the development of the Ashwa Nova Edible Art when you realized the hybrid flexible formwork solution would succeed, and how that breakthrough shaped your understanding of what is achievable at the intersection of digital fabrication and artisanal food craft?
The turning point was a moment of sheer revelation in our studio. We had experienced numerous heartbreaks where the intricate lattice would snap right as it emerged from traditional molds. The tension was immense. Then Abhimanyu Goel applied principles from advanced material casting to create a hybrid flexible formwork. When Aakanksha Jain carefully peeled away the formwork for the first time and the horses emerged with flawless sharp relief we were absolutely speechless. That single breakthrough completely reshaped our understanding of artisanal food craft. It proved to us at Modesi Chocolates that when you merge the exactness of digital fabrication with the delicate touch of human hands you can achieve structural miracles that defy the fragile nature of tempered chocolate.
The creative process behind the Ashwa Nova Edible Art appears to move fluidly between computational modeling, iterative prototyping, material calibration, and artisanal finishing, with each phase informing the next in ways that are rarely seen within culinary design. How did you and your collaborator navigate the tension between the algorithmic precision required by the three-dimensional design and the deeply human, craft-based sensibility that gives the Ashwa Nova Edible Art its warmth and its cultural resonance?
Navigating that tension is the true magic behind Modesi Chocolates. Algorithmic precision can sometimes feel cold but Aakanksha Jain possesses an incredible intuition for warmth and cultural resonance. While Abhimanyu Goel was focused on the rigorous three dimensional modeling and calculating the exact tolerances for the lattice Aakanksha was constantly grounding the project in human sensibility. We spent hours refining the curves of the horses so they felt dynamic and alive rather than rigid and computer generated. Our creative process is a constant dance between the computer screen and the tempering marble. We calibrate the materials mathematically but we finish every single piece with an artisanal touch that ensures the final artwork feels deeply personal and culturally resonant.
The Ashwa Nova Edible Art was conceived specifically for the 2026 Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse, yet its methods, its philosophical foundation, and its material innovations seem to carry implications far beyond a single seasonal release. How do you envision the design language and fabrication approach developed through the Ashwa Nova Edible Art evolving across future collections, and in what ways do you see Modesi expanding the vocabulary of edible design to address other cultural narratives or commemorative occasions?
The 2026 Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse provided the perfect debut for our methodology but the vision for Modesi extends far beyond a single season. Aakanksha Jain and Abhimanyu Goel are already conceptualizing how our hybrid formwork techniques can translate into other global cultural narratives. We want to expand the vocabulary of edible design to commemorate a wide array of heritage stories from international architectural milestones to diverse global festivities. The design language we developed for the Ashwa Nova Edible Art sets a robust foundation for future collections where complex geometries will continue to tell stories of human triumph and celebration. Modesi Chocolates will always remain at the forefront of transforming significant cultural moments into breathtaking interactive culinary experiences.
The Ashwa Nova Edible Art is remarkable not only for its technical achievements but also for its ambition to elevate chocolate from a consumable product into a cultural artifact that invites pause, tactile engagement, and genuine dialogue. Bringing together the threads of heritage, innovation, sensory design, and social meaning that run through this project, is there a dimension of the Ashwa Nova Edible Art that you feel has not yet received the attention it deserves, and what would you most want fellow designers and audiences worldwide to understand about what this work truly represents?
The dimension that we feel deserves even more spotlight is the sheer emotional weight of ephemeral art. We want fellow designers and audiences to understand that the Ashwa Nova Edible Art is an invitation to be entirely present. In a world moving at breakneck speed Aakanksha Jain and Abhimanyu Goel designed an object that forces you to slow down. The intricate details demand tactile engagement and create a genuine dialogue between the creator and the consumer. Modesi Chocolates represents a rebellion against mindless consumption. We want the world to recognise this work as a testament to the idea that just because something is destined to disappear does not mean it cannot leave a permanent mark on your soul.
What particularly fascinates me about the Ashwa Nova Edible Art is the intentional design of how the bar breaks, described as a guided interaction choreographed between user and object. Could you elaborate on the design thinking behind this decision, explaining how the geometry of the Ashwa Nova Edible Art was structured to orchestrate the moment of consumption, and what this reveals about your broader philosophy of designing for the full sensory arc of an experience rather than solely for visual impact?
Designing the break was perhaps the most intimate part of our process. We did not want the consumption to be random or clumsy. Abhimanyu Goel engineered the underlying geometry of the huawen lattice to create specific stress points orchestrating exactly how the bar snaps. This choreographed interaction guides the user through a sensory arc where the sound of the snap and the tactile feedback of the break are just as important as the visual splendour. Aakanksha and Abhi believe that true design must encompass the entire journey from the first glance to the final taste. For Modesi this reveals our overarching philosophy that an experience should be intentional at every single touchpoint transforming the simple act of breaking chocolate into a deliberate moment of performance art.
For design enthusiasts who may not yet have considered chocolate as a serious design medium, the Ashwa Nova Edible Art offers an astonishing demonstration of how advanced fabrication, material science, and cultural storytelling can converge in an object held in the palm of one hand. How were the tempering techniques and the specific 70 percent cocoa composition of the Ashwa Nova Edible Art calibrated not only for structural performance but also to create a flavor journey that mirrors the layered visual and tactile experience of the object itself, and what does this interplay between taste and form reveal about the future possibilities of multisensory design?
The material science behind our specific 70 percent cocoa composition was rigorously tested to ensure both structural perfection and a profound flavor journey. The tempering techniques had to be flawless to maintain the sharp architectural edges designed by Abhimanyu Goel while delivering the luxurious melt that Aakanksha Jain envisioned. We calibrated the dark chocolate to release its complex tasting notes in stages perfectly mirroring the layered visual depth of the lattice and the horses. This interplay between the rich taste and the monumental form reveals that the future of multisensory design is limitless. It proves to the world that Modesi Chocolates is not just making sweets but crafting holistic experiences where advanced fabrication and culinary excellence converge into pure magic.
