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The Art of Folding Paper and stone have nothing in common. For the Ishi Kiri Collection, Odyssey takes up the challenge by transforming the former onto the latter, with inspiration driven from origami – the art of Japanese paper folding. Text by Anindia Karlinda
Imagine the flexibility and lightness of paper, and try picturing the way it folds and can be sculpted to form any shape you want. The feel of folding paper should be familiar enough, since almost every childhood memory involves certain contact with origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. The fascination shown towards this art-form might be due to the whimsically versatile transformation brought by a piece of paper that holds no bound to creativity . That kind of charm is impossible to miss, as Odyssey can vouch to be true. Aiming to be the best yet evolving master in the field of stone design, Odyssey Stone Architecture & Design uses its creative hunger to score breakthroughs above the common trends by exploring various stones while pursuing innovation in design. The company’s latest inspiration is the art of origami. Ruchika Grover, the Director of Odyssey, revealed why they were motivated to mix the unthinkable formula of paper and stone, “We wanted to create awe and surprise and make everyone rethink stone and its application.” Reflecting on the possible outcome of translating the contour of origami paper into stones, Ishi Kiri Collection was conceived. Grover reminisced about how they came up with the idea for the collection, “We were looking at creating dimensional surfaces which gave the feel of paper and could be interspersed with light; the Japanese art of paper folding,
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One of Ishi Kiri Collection’s best-seller, Puritsu (opposite) is inspired by pleats, as was shown by the way it syncs with the engravings and give out a grand flower-look pattern.
Photos Courtesy of Rajesh Suneja
While it’s fashioned in a form of flower, Hana (left) pass on light thrhough the carving of its well-defined flower petals, while Sankaku (below, left) is designed with 2 stones, Jurassic Yellow Limeston and Indian White Marble, in triangular form to give a multidimensional look and feel, and Taiyou (below, right) ‘shines’ as bright as the sun through the use of circular pattern.
origami, was the basis of our inspiration for this collection.” Following the birth of the idea, Odyssey made an extensive research of origami folding patterns and its interpretation in stone, while searching for the required types of marble, granite, and tools to achieve the desired finish and proportions. The main objective of the collection was to create a dramatic form of stone installation by exploiting the paper-like pleats and creases in multi-dimensional form. For an extraordinary and dramatic result, the surfaces can be customarily designed using back-lit and front-lit options for the walls. “The dimensionality of the surface allows a varied intensity of light to pass through the different patterns, and since the surfaces use natural white marble as the base, the vein and the natural formations are also highlighted in every installation,” explained Grover, “and when it’s back-lit or front-lit, each pattern has a completely DWELL ASIA!JULY/AUGUST 2014
different look.” This passing of light through the pattern of the installations becomes the key feature of the collection, and a 30-mm Indian white marble sheet, known for its translucency, is used for engraving deep into the pattern, which enables the lights to penetrate and show up on the surface. Each with a distinct identity and features, the installations for this collection can be used in numerous spaces; spas, bath areas, boundary walls, bars, just to name a few. The collection itself offers a mix of geometric, floral, classical, modern, and straight lines, up to 20 designs. The four designs considered to be the best-sellers are: ‘Taiyou,’ which means ‘sun’ in Japanese, displaying a circular pattern with engraving that emits light in a way that resembles the rays of the sun; ‘Hana,’ which uses well-defined flower petals to form a floral pattern, intensifying its beauty when installed with full light passing through the carving; ‘Sankaku’ is designed using Jurassic
yellow limestone and Indian white marbles whose formations not only project a multi-dimensional look and feel, but also display a rotational appearance on the passing light, just like the sails of a windmill; last but not least, ‘Puritsu,’ which means pleats in Japanese, shows a grand pattern of delicate pleats harmonizing with the engravings and emitting the overall look of a flower. “When one thinks of stone, words like heavy, cumbersome, bulky and solid cross the mind, but we have tried to dispel those notions with Ishi Kiri by making it translucent and paper-like,” spelled out Grover. She stated that the image they want to project is that of Odyssey pushing the envelope and exploring possibilities in a medium of stone that is rarely explored. And how has the response to this innovative approach been? To this, Grover stated, “Most of the people viewing the collection for the first time want to touch and feel the surface to really believe what they are seeing.”
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