16 minute read
Let Your Home Shine With Artisanal Lighting.
| In their indulgent play of material, light, shadow, colour, space and form, these fixtures speak to a future of interior design where light becomes a storyteller.
There’s nothing quite like the festive season to remind us why our homes deserve the kind of celebration, decoration, and love that we do. And how better to do that, than with bespoke artisanal lighting installations that will uplift your rooms luminously? Not just light, even if you’re looking to bring in art or installations to transform your home into an aesthetic experience, Klove lighting studio is the place to be. It will welcome you into its almost shepherdly embrace with simultaneous warmth and steely expertise – the studio itself, spells a tranquil austerity yet allows you to marvel at the stunning lighting displays with all the glory of art strung up in a museum. Klove’s founders aren’t lighting experts as much as they are artists and designers who happen to work with light. “We like to push the very boundaries of design – this has foremost been an artistic endeavour for us,” remarks co-founder, Gautam Seth. “Light is just our choice of medium to make that happen.” In their indulgent play of material, light, shadow, colour, space and form, these fixtures speak to a future of interior design where light becomes a storyteller. The design pro-
cess pre-necessitates a great deal of mood-boarding and montaging. “It’s like making a documentary-style movie in our heads,” co-founder Prateek Jain chuckles, “And the story we’re building needs to be clear before we can move on to sketching, 3-D rendering, modelling, prototyping, and finally, production.” When it comes to translating sensory aesthetics into a playful art experience, Klove relies on methodical precision and near-scientific examination of material, shape, and form. “How light works with different, maybe unconventional materials,” Gautam chimes in, “is
Lighting has emerged on the luxury landscape to revolutionise how the modern homeowner introduces art into room décor. With Klove Studio, lighting, lifestyle, and luxury intersect through art to “transform space design”.
by Saba Ali
[ Karishma Julka, Co-contributor ]
a careful study of how light reacts to (and with) different surfaces, be it glass, wood, stone, marble, and so on and create forms and shapes that flow with light naturally.” Klove’s mantra seems to arise out of this confluence – how materiality meets light, how light meets art, how art meets lifestyle, how lifestyle meets storytelling. They maintain that their pieces are bespoke to the distinct expectations and aesthetic lifestyle of the client, which is why Klove Studio produces not more than five to seven pieces a day. Each piece is custom, handmade with a labor of love, where
| Klove’s founders Gautam and Prateek aren’t lighting experts as much as they are artists and designers who happen to work with light . 1
Our pieces aren’t meant to compete with natural light, anyway. We do not design them in a fashion that requires them to be lit during the day, only at night-time. gautam Seth
Co-founder, Klove Studio
| There is, perhaps, a more potent message to be uncovered, here – luxury lighting isn’t meant to be industrialized into mass production.
clients continually interface with the architects and interior designers. Gautam and Prateek’s objective is to ensure that clients feel as though they are creating art through lighting something that is unique, and they can truly call their own. “That is how we got started, actually,” Prateek quips, “we were trying to renovate our own home and while looking for room accessories, we wondered if we could just make our own artistic pieces. Something that spoke to our aesthetic choices specifically. And from there, these lighting displays became our brainchild.” Klove has grown into an international power player, with pieces adorning eminent locations and homes across the globe, be it hotels, airports, luxury mansions, fashion houses – Venice, Milan, Lisbon, Tokyo, New York, you name it. But despite that, their limited production ensures they stay bespoke, and they intend to keep it that way. Gautam adds, “We understand that our pieces cannot cater to everyone, but that is because our pieces are meant to be specific, unique, and adapted to the custom desires of each client.” There is, perhaps, a more potent message to be uncovered, here – luxury lighting isn’t meant to be industrialized into mass production. The prospect of industrialization also begs the question of sustainability in lighting, and how Klove achieves it. “Being environmentally-conscious of our carbon footprint was always one of our foremost concerns,” Prateek proclaims. “All our pieces are handcrafted, and the most energy efficient way is to make them with LEDs, and use no halogens whatsoever, which used to be quite the nuisance, back when there wasn’t as much range in terms of dimming LEDs, or finding the right color, the right luminosity. That isn’t as much of a problem now, fortunately, since we’ve sourced vendors from abroad.” Gautam chips in, remarking, “Our pieces aren’t meant to compete with natural light, anyway. We do not design them in a fashion that requires them to be lit during the day, only at night-time.” And looking at the wow lighting fixtures posted on their Instagram, it’s evident that Klove doesn’t design them to provide a source of light as much as them to be art pieces. “They shouldn’t take away from the natural light being let into the house, which I believe is very important for a space, and something we are very conscious of while designing a piece for a room. Only turn the lights on when you need them, because there really is no contender for sunlight.” Prateek swears by old fashioned, softer wall lights nestled on the corners and sides of traditional Indian homes. Having met in Delhi themselves, preserving Indian heritage means a great deal more to Gautam and Prateek - it
This may sound clichéd, but I cannot do without a statementmaking chandelier over my dining table. prateek jain
Co-founder, Klove Studio
entails a conscious attempt to revive a handicraft industry fizzling at the cost of sophisticated industrial machinery. Klove draws on the ancient expertise of local kaarigars, or craftsmen, to build their pieces from scratch. Glass, which has become a key lighting motif when it comes to sustainability and keeping the tradition alive, is sculpted at Klove by lab-ware glass blowers from Ambala, whose scientific technical skillset is adapted for more artistic purposes. Perhaps keeping the industry’s heart beating has a lot to do with the possibility of evolution, metamorphosis, and getting technical workers to recognize their brimming potential as artisans – Klove is providing them the opportunity to explore their craft in an entirely new and innovative ways. “These kaarigars need food to put on the table every day, they need shelter, and they need purpose – that is what it means to revive their industry.”
Brass workers in Moradabad too, are Klove’s local boast – trained in the distinctive stylistic and thematic approach Klove deploys with stunning results. Illustratively, their hauntingly beautiful protection totem, both Prateek and Gautam’s personal favourite, welds together a dazzling display of glass, metal, and light to invoke something of a prayer, a litany in every beholder. “We asked ourselves,” observes Prateek, “how do we use light to express spirituality? And what does spirituality mean to us?” With these Totems, the two designers have created something of an altar, one that proclaims to the world emphatically that Klove’s spirituality, above all, is an artistic force. “We have no specific references to art objects when we create – just an aesthetic experience in mind. No machines, no measuring devices, at first. Just using our senses to guide us. It’s like sculpting a rock, where you don’t really know what will come to you, but when you keep at it long enough, and keep chipping away, something beautiful comes out of it.” Not all of us are harbingers of artistic glory, but hey, we all have homes to decorate, so some handy tips and tricks couldn’t hurt, right? Prateek deftly remarks, with a wry grin, “This may sound clichéd, but I cannot do without a statement-making chandelier over my dining table.” And Gautam, ever prepared with his repertoire adds, “Honestly, your home should be an experience you’re building. Be consistent. Don’t go designing every room in your house according to a different theme. Don’t mix and match styles. Pick one theme and stick to it. Don’t change your mind halfway or try to be too eclectic. Oh, and glass? It complements just about anything, so if you’re not sure about material, it’s a safe bet.” Cohesive, conscious, and consistent, folks, you heard it here first – don’t complicate, cohere. The aesthetic experience of your home should be self-evident, let your intuition and natural sensibilities direct you. That, perhaps, is Klove’s aim – to use lighting to teach you how to recognize the artist within, and help you materialize your vision – through your five senses and their artistic expertise.
| Glass, which has become a key lighting motif, is sculpted at Klove by labware glass blowers from
Ambala, whose scientific technical skillset is adapted for more artistic purposes.
Pilgrimage Through Art
With Jayasri Burman
Jayasri Burman’s art is unlike anything one has seen in contemporary India. Each of her spectacular paintings can keep you glued to the canvas for hours. The clean yet fluid lines, vivid colours, the burst of nature, the benevolent gaze of the divine feminine she brings to life, all come together effortlessly to hold you spellbound.
by Manisha Natarajan
| River of Faith | Size: 1.7 x 18 feet, | Charcoal Acrylic on Canvas, 2021
| Kumudini | Size: 72'' x 108'' | Mixed Media on Canvas, 2021
| Adrika | Size: 79.2'' x 61.2'' | Water Colour Pen ink on Paper Pasted on Lucobond , 2021 | urjawati | Size: 79.2'' x 61.2'' | Water Colour Pen ink on Paper Pasted on Lucobond , 2021
I’m deeply spiritual but I get the same sense of peace, whether I’m in a temple, a gurdwara, or a mosque. Jayasri burman The beautiful smile on the face of artist Jayasri Burman is uncannily like the smile of the goddesses that adorn her paintings. It’s almost like Burman herself is part of her picture – sublime, serene, unruffled – a divine feminine power that keeps the world in balance and harmony.
“Don’t be fooled by my calm demeanour,” Burman exclaims. “I have a restlessness inside me, an urgency to do so much more, to create, to paint and add beauty to the world. There is enough strife and ugliness as is. What we forget is the power of beauty to heal.”
One can instantly feel that power in the artwork placed all around her well-lit studio. The benevolent gaze of the goddesses, variably postured across her many canvases – some upright, some splayed sideways, but each one with a gaze that meets you head on – as though their eyes are peering into your very soul.
For most of us who’ve grown up celebrating a multitude of festivals to invoke blessings of different goddesses that dominate mythology, the connection with Jayasri Burman’s art is almost instant. The stories she brings to life are sometimes timeless, sometimes those lost in time. For instance, how many of us know that the mighty river Ganga had to sacrifice eight of her sons to descend from the mountains as a nurturer and a purifier of humankind? That’s the story she narrates, as we stand mesmerized by one of the spectacular paintings from her “River of Faith” series.
For an artist whose work is a pilgrimage through Indian mythology, be it the glorious rendering of the sacred Ganges or the rebellious warrior queen Draupadi, Burman herself is inspiringly secular. Jayasri Di, as she is lovingly known to friends and family, grew up in a large joint family in Kolkata. The Hindu “puja” or worship of the gods was an everyday ritual at her home. Yet her father, a seasoned businessman bought out Kolkata’s popular shoe brand Khadims from a Muslim owner and chose to retain the Islamic name. Jayasri, raised in this liberal and intellectual lineage adds, “I’m deeply spiritual but I get the same sense of peace, whether I’m in a temple, a gurdwara, or a mosque. The fact that my father retained the Khadims name reflects how my religion is shaped – inclusive and brimming with love.”
So vividly etched are Burman’s childhood memories,
| Jahnavi | Size: 186 x 60 x 220 inches | Bronze, 2021 one can almost relive some moments as she recounts them, “We had a full house, with cousins, and second cousins living with us, and my parents taking care of the extended family. There was no jealousy, and each one of us inspired the other to do better.”
That spirit of creative nurturing and respect is perhaps the reason why three tremendously successful artists – her husband Paresh Maity (who needs no introduction!), her fashion photographer son – Rid Burman, and the artist herself, all flourish under one roof. “There is nothing but tremendous respect for each other’s work and ample space to grow.”
Burman’s face lights up in a special way when she talks about her celebrity photographer son Rid. “He was born in difficult circumstances when my previous marriage was in turmoil. All that I prayed for is a child with a good and kind soul and I was blessed with that.” She goes on to chuckle how Rid, her biggest fan and most honest critic, will eat everything she cooks, even the offbeat Bengali fish combined with fruit dishes she throws together for him.
We gently touch on her relationship with the famous artist Paresh Maity. Was he instrumental in pushing her to start exhibiting her work? “Paresh is my best friend. The artist in me was always there. It was waiting to find a public expression. It’s not that Paresh pushed me to do it. Rather, we realised it together. Today we can both paint at the same spot, and our canvasses look completely different.”
While her uncle the famous painter Sakti Burman, who she fondly calls Sakti Kaku, was her role model in
I believe there is an innate strength in women, a feminine power that can be unleashed, to both destroy and recreate. Jayasri burman
| Adhishree | Size: 84'' x 66'' | Acrylic on canvas 2021
her growing up days, the core of her inspiration is drawn from elsewhere. Burman recounts her escapades into the forest on the outskirts of her hometown in Bengal, where she encountered Santhal women, whose homes were adorned with paintings, usually etched onto the walls. “My work is most influenced by folk art. The tribals and the villagers often have little material possessions, but their lives are rich with colours of art.”
Burman’s own paintings are similarly layered in stories, with a melee of women, animals, children, nature, trees, flowers, water, rivers, aquatic life - all connected to one another, entwined in a harmonious synergy. Yet each of
| Nandini | Size: 8 x 8 feet | Charcoal Acrylic on Canvas, 2021
her forms is clean, discrete – the details are distinct, and the figures, well-defined. Talking about one of her larger-than-life watercolours titled “Bharati” she says, “There was so much inside me, bubbling to come out. It was as if my paint brush was dancing and rejoicing the power of Indianness and the Indian woman”.
| Shiveshwari | Size: 36 x 36 inches Water colour pen and ink on paper , 2021
| With celebrity photographer son, Rid
With much of her art revolving around the feminine form, we are curious to know if she is a feminist. “Not the overt political kind. But yes, I believe there is an innate strength in women, a feminine power that can be unleashed, to both destroy and recreate. I see that in my mother,” Burman remarks fondly, “with her long curly hair she reminds me of Parvati.” The goddess poised as lord Shiva’s wife, the complement to holy destruction, equal and opposite, Parvati embodies harmony, synergy. And each of Burman’s women speaks to that – mirroring what she believes is women’s greatest strength.
Burman’s soulfully Indian art is exhibited as far and wide as Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo and received by international art lovers with utter fascination. After all, it is impossible not to be struck by Burman’s uniqueness.
What’s next for this painter and sculptor? “Jewellery”, she exclaims. “I’ve resisted converting my paintings into a locket even though some of my friends have urged me to do so. If I create something, it must be a work of beauty so I’m designing an entire collection. At the Venice Biennale I saw British installation artist, sculptor, and painter – Damien Hirst’s stunning jewellery collection on display. This was in 2017. And I thought to myself, I should do it too. It’s taken me a few years to give it shape and form. It’s not easy.”
But then, easy is not at all what Burman does. She reminisces through the intense process of sculpting “Janhavi” her 22 feet ode to Mother India in bronze. There’s much that’s been written about this grand sculpture, sometimes equated to the Statue of Liberty. We see it as a masterpiece that has earned a definite spot in India’s art history.
Prasava, the delightful process of birthing and nurturing is the inspiration for her next art collection to be held in Mumbai in April 2023. Having seen the first two paintings of the series, all that we can say is, Burman fans and art lovers are in for an exemplary treat.
For those who’ve never encountered a Jayasri Burman, this might be a perfect time to change that. Nothing matches the experience of revelling in Burman’s love of feminine power and nature, as much as a physical, in-person viewing of her art.
