In a time when one can buys furniture online and assemble it with the help of a guide, designer Natasha Kohli’s craft studio Filo reminds us that furniture is, in fact, a functional art form that is a combination of design, ergonomics and a craftsman’s skill to produce something that is sellable.
Over 100 commissioned pieces of furniture are displayed at a symposium at the Stainless Gallery, that showcase how the skill of traditional artisans, when integrated with good design, can transform a simple chair or table into an heirloom item. The exhibition is a classic example of how to keep crafts relevant in the “machine age” and the importance of adapting technology to enhance the skill of artisans instead of killing it.
The furniture incorporates art forms such as pietre dure or parchin kari (an inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished coloured stones) that has also been used in the Taj Mahal, marquetry to create installations and intricate hand carving to create many storylines under which the works are divided.
These storylines elevate carpentry and woodwork into furniture art in which each piece individually tells a story, sometimes a spiritual one of secularism while at times, the story of the influence behind its creation.
Natasha Kolhi who is the designer behind the exhibition, says she considers herself as an art custodian and says it has taken her 25 years to build a team of craftsmen who can adapt technology with the craft that has been passed down to them.
“It is criminal for a craftsman to be doing any other job and because of falling patronage many of them are looking for a way out of their family heritage and earn money from other means, says Natasha.
The works of her team, that comprises craftsmen from various communities from across India, have decorated private residences of art aficionados, heritage hotels including Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, embassies and resorts.
The works are not restricted to furniture alone but also creating art installations using marquetry (the of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or pictures) to create the New York skyline.
Natasha hopes what she has started will move beyond her brand, and turn into an arts and craft movement that will find many patrons who will purchase these works and treat them as art.
People who spend money buying paintings should also become patrons of the crafts and start collecting, she feels. Natasha, who designs keeping in mind the specific needs of the end user, says her ultimate goal is to create a crafts village to protect crafts from fading away.
The exhibition is on at the Stainless Gallery, The Mira Corporate Suites, Mathura Road, till April 19.
