The art of design

Twenty individual forms of lighting design are combined into one installation. Pillars made of blow glass and cast in brass onto wall installations, shapes of birds (eagles, peacocks), animals (tiger, wolf, monkey) and tress come together to create the Gypsy Caravan by Klove studio, a perfect showstopper at the ongoing India Design ID 2018.

At the center of the caravan depicting the light installation of a wolf is a pipette screen that can be used separately as a room divider. In fact, each of the components is made individually and can be housed as a separate product.

Co-founders Prateek Jain and Gautam Seth of Klove transformed their design atelier to create immersive experiential installations, playing with form, scale, dimension of light, sound and smell. With the Gypsy Caravan and Shamanic Soul, their collection at the symposium, they have taken their journey one step ahead.

Ilke Table Lamp from Sahil and Sarthak

Also in focus are designers Sahil Bagga and Sarthak Sengupta. Their Delhi studio Sahil and Sarthak is launching nine new products during the four-day event to commemorate their ninth anniversary. These products are created in a variety of mediums ranging from fabric to metal to glass. The studio that specializes in customizing furniture, lighting and installations, using Indian materials and craftsmanship is known for fusing contemporary lifestyle with sustainable and ethnic products. Their Katran Collection is a case in point: scraps of clothes, usually by-products from clothing mills, are spun into ropes and woven over cane or steel or even stitched to make products such as chairs, cushions, lampshades among others. The handwoven Pelican Chair is droolworthy.

Another collection worth noticing is by Delhi-based furniture design studio Differniture. The design house is launching its new range of furniture inspired by Tessellate, a geometrical pattern in which a plain surface is covered by the repeated use of a single shape, without gaps or overlapping.

Aakriti Kumar, the woman behind the brand, says the collection focuses on the repurposing of material left over from past projects. Carved mostly from wood, the collection has products ranging from coffee tables, side tables, accent chairs, as well as smaller accessories and even chandeliers.

Klove, Sahil and Sarthak and Differniture are among 130 exhibitors from across the world who are showcasing their best designs and signature collections at the India Design ID 2018. Other prominent exhibitors include newcomers such as Sans Souci and Roche Bobois in the lighting segment, and familiar names such as Kohler, Apartment 9 and Baroq in interiors and home decor, and Cocoon and Obeetee in surface.

In its sixth edition this year, the event, an Ogaan initiative presented by Asian Paints, has also brought together more than 30 speakers—artists, designers and architects from across the world—who are participating in panel discussions, talks and interactive sessions. These include Israeli architect and designer Ron Arad, Welsh artist and industrial designer Ross Lovegrove, British-born cyborg artist Neil Harbisson, French celebrity chef Alain Passard, Godrej Culture Lab head Parmesh Shahani, designer Rooshad Shroff, fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Lounge columnist Swapan Seth.

Also during the event, Asian Paints launched ColourNext 2018. It announced Passion Flower as the colour of the year for 2018. This colour, along with Busy Cool, Alchemy of Memories, Humane and Untamed form ColourNext 2018’s four trends.

India Design ID is open for public from 22-25 February at New Delhi’s NSIC Grounds. There is a preview on Wednesday. ID Symposium (talks and panel discussions) will be held during the first three days of the event. For details of time and ticket prices, please visit here