Suraj Barthy Selvabarathy 
Longest Day, 2025 
Upcycled watch, watch case, acrylic 
3.74 x 3.74 x 3.23 inches
 
"This year marks the tenth anniversary of my dad’s passing. I’ve been working on a piece inspired by his old HMT watch, which he wore every day during his years working for Indian Railways, where he set train timetables. He bought the watch more than a decade before I was born, and the model name is “Suraj,” which is also my name. The lamp reimagines the watch as a light source, a way of capturing how he continues to guide me through time, almost like he’s still holding my hand as I cross the road to school. The markings on the lamp reference key moments: 7:50 AM (when he’d walk me to school) and Sunday, June 21 (Father’s Day, the day we lost him)."
 
Suraj Barthy is a designer, artist, and educator based in New York. His work bridges human connection, time, and technology through installations, interactive objects, and creative coding. Drawing from his lineage in silk saree design, he often blends traditional craft with digital processes to explore memory and materiality. His work has been featured at Maker Faire, Open Hardware Summit, Harvestworks, NYC-Resistor, and the DEMO Festival in the Netherlands.
 
Photo by Aaron S Cheung, Esto.