Supporting a brilliant foundation through art: Kush Maini on his special Helmet Design

Kush Maini has had a different looking helmet recently, and we recently caught up with the ART Grand Prix driver to find out more about his new look.

The Indian driver spoke about the meaning behind the design, how it came together and why it means so much to him to support the Akanksha Foundation and his people back home.

“It’s a very exciting helmet, with a lot of meaning and story behind it. There’s a foundation in India called the Akanksha Foundation and I'm doing a collaboration with their art project.

“They're a 35 year old non-profit organisation and their core belief is that reimagining education for a child can lift their entire family out of poverty, so to be working with them is amazing, it's always something I've wanted to do.

“The foundation's own framing of why this matters is art gives children from tougher communities a level playing field and a way to tell their stories, be seen and be heard on their own terms and it's something I wanted to incorporate in my helmet.

“With the platform I have, and I'm grateful to have, I want to be showing the real heroes and the real talent out there.

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“So I have two girls who have done an art piece. One is Alfia, she has made the mandala on the top and it represents a sense of peace and calm and it's something I strive to have in the car as well, so it matches quite well.

“Then the side, as you can see, is Aditi, but that's more of a memory. It's a bit of home and what reminds her of home and that again resonates with me because obviously I left home when I was quite young and everywhere I go I always take home with me in a way.

“So those two beautiful pieces are going to be with me on the helmet and hopefully bring me some luck and they've done a great job.

“I can't wait to go meet the artists when I'm back home but I think it's a beautiful story and a beautiful objective that Akanksha is doing and I'm very proud to be a part of it.

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“India is a country where a lot of talent gets overlooked because they don't have the opportunity or don't have the platform or the wealth and we have so much talent that doesn't end up getting seen.

“This is one step closer to evening out the playing field and I'm very happy to be able to contribute in a small way to that.”