Abhimanyu Goel and Aakanksha Jain Is Honored with the Bronze A' Design Award for Ashwa Nova Edible Art in Food, Beverage and Culinary Arts Design

The Work

Project

Ashwa Nova Edible Art

Function

Edible Art

Category

Food, Beverage and Culinary Arts Design

Discipline

Product Design

Industry

Food & Hospitality and Packaging & Retail

Colors

Saddle Brown, Black, Silver, Dark Slate Gray and Sienna

Images

5

Client

Modesi Designs Pte Ltd

The Recognition

Laureate

Abhimanyu Goel and Aakanksha Jain

Country

Singapore

Recognition

Bronze A' Design Award

Edition

2025 - 2026

Design ID

#183490

Credits

Team

Abhimanyu Goel and Aakanksha Jain

Image Credits

Abhimanyu Goel

Design Details

Unique Properties

Ashwa Nova is a 3D-crafted chocolate bar that translates cultural storytelling into an edible form. Inspired by the symbolic horse, the design features intricate, high-relief motifs framed within a layered lattice geometry. Enabled by advanced fabrication techniques, the bar achieves precision and depth beyond conventional moulding. It transforms chocolate into a tactile artifact, where form, narrative, and craftsmanship converge to create a multisensory experience.

Inspiration

Ashwa Nova explores edible design as a medium for cultural storytelling. Inspired by the horse, a symbol of strength and prosperity, the design merges traditional Asian lattice geometries with contemporary aesthetics. By utilizing 3D printing to achieve intricate reliefs impossible with standard molds, the project creates a tactile dialogue between heritage and innovation. It transforms chocolate from a simple confection into a crafted object of memory and precision.

Research

This Technical and Cultural Feasibility Study sought to merge the essence of nostalgia and cultural expression as a medium for storytelling with digital precision in edible form. The objective was to achieve high-relief geometric complexities impossible through traditional molding. Methodology involved iterative 3D design and precision polymer 3D printing to create intricate flexible formworks. This research used digital CAD tools and high-resolution additive manufacturing to test structural integrity and relief depth for an 80g bar. Results demonstrated that precision 3D-printed formworks enable geometric patterns that eliminate material waste while maintaining artisanal quality.

Challenge

The core challenge was the Geometric Release Paradox: creating high-relief, sharp-angled "huawen" lattice structures without shattering the brittle tempered chocolate during de-molding. Traditional rigid molds cannot handle such intricate undercuts. The solution was a hybrid engineering workflow using precision 3D-printed flexible formworks. This digital additive process enabled the successful extraction of complex, interlocking geometries impossible with standard methods. The result is a durable 80g bar featuring crisp, hand-gilded details that bridge classical architectural aesthetics with modern fabrication.

Realization and Technology

The realisation of Ashwa Nova is rooted in the convergence of digital design, advanced fabrication, and artisanal chocolate-making. The process begins with computational modelling, where the horse motif and lattice framework are carefully developed as a unified geometry. Special attention is given to depth, scale, and relief to ensure that the design is not only visually expressive but also structurally viable within the constraints of chocolate casting and demoulding. To achieve the intricate detailing and layered composition, the design is prototyped using high-resolution 3D printing.

Operation and Interaction

The interaction begins with the visual impact of the high-relief surface, where the 3D-printed horse and lanterns catch light against the dark cocoa. The user experiences a tactile transition from the smooth holding surface to the intricate, hand-gilded patterns of the relief. Consumption follows a planned sensory flow: starting with bright mandarin notes, followed by deep cocoa, and finishing with a clean citrus aftertaste. This intentional design offers a more immersive, multi-layered experience than a standard flat bar.

Project Duration and Location

The development of the MODESI Ashwa Nova Horse Bar project commenced in January 2026 in Singapore. The design and production phases were completed in February 2026, specifically timed for the Year of the Horse Lunar New Year collection. The final product was documented for award submission in March 2026 in Singapore. This timeline encompasses the full cycle from initial 3D design iterations to the hand-applied gold finishing of the physical 80-gram chocolate units.

Specifications

The Ashwa Nova Horse Bar is an 80-gram dark milk chocolate bar that merges traditional Lunar New Year symbolism with high-precision 3D printing technology. The bar is crafted from 70% cocoa dark chocolate infused with bright mandarin citrus notes. Its intricate, high-relief surface is highlighted by hand-applied 24-karat edible gold flakes. Measuring 115 mm x 75 mm x 10 mm, this piece serves as both a luxury gift and a landmark achievement in edible design for the 2026 Year of the Horse.

Keywords

3D Printed Chocolate, Edible Art, Year of the Horse, Lunar New Year, Luxury Chocolate, Geometric Lattice, Architectural Design, Mandarin Infusion, Hand-Gilded, Sustainable Production, Edible Art