A large repoussé wall panel depicting abstract intersecting chakras or circles. A monumental console in patinated gold finish inspired by the sweeping sands of Rajasthan’s Thar Desert. These, and eight other unique pieces, form part of leading product designer Vikram Goyal’s collection of limited-edition consoles, benches, side tables, lights and wall panels that are currently on display at PAD, the prestigious London art and design fair. Curated by Nilufar, the famed Milan-based gallery, which is a hub of contemporary and historic design, Goyal’s debut also marks the first solo presentation at PAD by
a contemporary Indian artist.
Each handmade piece demonstrates his mastery of metal, and explores and celebrates a range of heritage techniques in the medium, which have existed in India since the 3rd or 4th century BC. Repoussé—the art of painstakingly hand-beating a metal sheet into three-dimensional forms—is one of them, and comes alive in the Delhi-based artist’s Maya panels depicting the chakras.
There’s also the Thar console, a monumental piece with patinated gold finish, weighing nearly 300 kg.
It is a feat of craftsmanship where thousands of hand-beaten metal bars were cut and welded together into the final undulating form. In the same range is the Thar Bar Cabinet, which has ripples of cut brass resembling desert dunes.
There’s also the Geodesic table that is inspired by the asymmetric, dynamic form of a pyrite crystal. The geometric facets are created by hand using a process called hollowed joinery where individual sheets of beaten brass are joined together in a seamless functional structure.
Goyal spent over two decades cultivating his expertise in metal, something that is demonstrated
in the Golden Arc series. Comprising a solid console, bench and seat in patinated gold finish, it represents a new language for the studio, and has an architectural quality, which is explored through intersecting surfaces, arches and columns. As for lighting, there’s the Picasso’s Quartet, a striking wall sconce that features layers of intersecting geometric shapes inspired by Cubism.
Goyal sums it up rather well: “Together with the artisans at our workshop, we have created a collection combining heritage skills and contemporary expressions of the Indian culture. They show the strength of the country’s indigenous craft, and how it has been evolving with the times. I believe it will resonate with collectors at home and abroad.”