Auroville is turning 50 on February 28 and the party promises to be big. One of the participants setting the celebratory mood is Maroma, the well-known home fragrances and body care company. In fact, an exhibition of perfumed candles is underway this weekend at Vernissage. We aren’t talking about any old candles: the sculptural pieces, ranging from 30 kg to 60 kg, are art forms in themselves.
“We’ve always dealt in candles and incense, and it was natural for us to celebrate this occasion with light,” begins Namrita Gautier, Design Director at Maroma, explaining the inspiration behind the exhibit. Incidentally, 2018 also marks Maroma’s 40th anniversary. The exhibit — featuring 70 candles in various shapes and sizes — is the brainchild of Paul Pinthon, the founding CEO of Maroma.
Wax works
Nearly two decades ago, the erstwhile French pharmacist (who moved to Auroville in 1974) was struck by the buckets of leftover wax in his studio, collected from candle mould spillovers. The myriad colours and perfumes — which he calls “mille fleurs” or the smell of a thousand flowers — inspired him to experiment with new forms and textures, but on a spectacular scale. Pinthon explains his sculptures “depend on how the wax melts and takes shape”, and a 50 kg candle would take him a week to complete.
He has incorporated elements of industrial design — using nuts, bolts, screws, steel plates and wires to hold the shapes together — and looked to modern art movements, like Cubism, fior inspiration. The latest collection also includes designs infused with an element of fun and playfulness, like geometrical shapes, pops of colour and even a candle designed like a staircase.
“What struck me was how these candles have a dimension to them which is deeper,” says Gautier. “While Paul may start with one concept, the inspiration comes from the wax itself. The forms follow a natural way and integrate into one candle.” Though the sculptural candles are not for sale at the moment, she says they may consider it soon. The exhibit is also likely to travel to Delhi towards the end of the year.
Classic does it
Maroma has created a new range of glass candles as well, called Celebrating Auroville Votives, to mark the experimental township’s golden anniversary. Pinthon has taken four of their classic fragrances — Jasmine, Vetiver, Rose and Sandalwood — and remixed them, imparting more natural and subtle notes, for the candles and incense. A fifth fragrance, Tube Rose, which The Mother called ‘New Creation’, will symbolise Auroville’s new beginning and hopes for the next 50 years. He has also created a candle called the Landmark, modelled on the granite pillars used to mark the land acquired in the early days.
The exhibition at Vernissage ends this evening. The Landmark candles, costing between ₹500 and ₹2,000, are available across Auroville stores. The Celebrating Auroville Votives start at ₹390.
