Imagine being a graduate in Chemistry in the late 1970s, and opting to pursue a career in design? Risky? Perhaps, but Pinakin Patel’s decision started a journey that has deeply impacted the way contemporary design evolved in India.
Takht sofa
Calling it a turning point in his life, Patel reasons the move, saying, “I had not found my ‘swadharma’ [duty to self]. Only when a person finds that is the path aligned for a successful future.” Aptly titled, The Turning Point — the ongoing retrospective at Nilaya Anthology — offers a holistic view of this journey through the lens of his designs.
Bramhaputra dining table
The seeds were sown growing up in the lanes of erstwhile South Bombay. The displays by street vendors, hawkers, and shops taught him the innate nature of aesthetics ‘against all odds of climate, money, legality’, he says. The Turning Point is the first-of-its-kind deep dive into the architect-designer’s life works. The retrospective features 11 works of furniture that capture Patel’s distinct creative signature; ‘a cultural restatement’, as he puts it.
Contour sofa
Like his approach, it also offers a holistic view of design and art. A total of 19 decorative artworks and objects from the designer’s personal collection, to be auctioned by Pundole’s, will also be on display. The Ramp at Anthology will also showcase a curated selection of works by the designer’s mentor, Padma Shri Awardee, the late Professor Dashrath Patel. These will be paired with a short film that poetically interprets Pinakin Patel’s ideas of essentialism.
Burl chair
“Across 50 years of his practice, there is an absolute richness of cultural context and understanding that reveals itself across various materials, disciplines and stories,” shares curator Pavithra Rajaram, creative director, Nilaya Anthology.
Deco chairs
Now, based in Alibaug, amidst his sustainable, green practice, Patel’s return is a reminder of the vibrant and desi innovation in a city consumed by its own modernity.
A close-up of Baroque dining table
TILL March 31; 11 am to 7.30 pm
AT Nilaya Anthology, Peninsula Corporate Park, Lower Parel West
