Since 2019, now established Mumbai-based gallery æquō has placed itself with a special proposal: shedding fresh light on the myriad of oft-overlooked Indian crafts through contemporary type. In turn, the platform assists to preserve these traditions, infuse them with new significance, and expose the level of their capacity.
Nevertheless, æquō– which equates as equal in Latin– does its best to bypass the all-too-inevitable condition of designers coming into place and merely commissioning the fabrication of new works; steam rolling over any evidence of idiosyncratic, culturally rooted difference. Instead, the gallery thoroughly cancels the innovative impulse of these big-name skills with the stability of this savoir faire. The works it seemingly commissions result from agreement and intensive partnership.
“Our function is, firstly, to transfer our fascination with a craft and to spark that very same enjoyment in the designer. This is the foundation of our curatorial technique: producing the best encounter between a designer’s universe which of a workshop,”states innovative director Florence Louisy.
Noted designer Kelly Wearstler– whose respected and often speculative practice has sometimes stimulated wider conversations around authorship and influence in modern style, while preserving a sizable and remarkably speculative oeuvre of her own ideation– established the new Lahar and Tarang capsule collections along these lines. Through intensive durations of on-the-ground residencies, she worked closely with craftsmens focused on glass enameling, bronze casting, and burnt teak carpentry. And while their names might not be explicitly uttered, their expertise is totally commemorated; made the star of the show in brand-new, unanticipated methods. ” The æquō team presented me to conventional craft methods– processes for which the region has been understood for centuries, with understanding gave through generations, “states Wearstler.”Comprehending that lineage, that depth of proficiency carried forward gradually, changes the way you approach the work. You’re not merely creating something brand-new; you’re participating in a conversation with history.” The unifying 3D vector grid– the L.A.-based polymath’s signature ‘wave-form’ motifs– renders as a cast-metal surface treatment throughout the Lahar collection: a restricted edition bar cabinet, chinaware cabinet, console, coffee table, beverage table, tray, table lamp, and vase. Expectantly natural glass enamel panels inlay in between the somewhat molten yet structured matrix. The styles are equivalent parts monolithic and graphic, aesthetically combined and yet, texturally contrasted; iridescently reflective yet opaquely patinated; ancient yet contemporary.
Made of scorched teak wood hand-carved into the near primitive chairs, benches and stools, the second Tarang collection puts the flaw of the manual procedure– acentuated by a bronze overlay– on complete display. However again, this gesture is restricted in geometric kind.< img src="https://design-milk.com/images/2026/03/Kelly-Wearstler-aequo-22-810x540.jpg" alt="A rectangular metal tray with a wood grid inside, similar to Kelly Wearstler's strong style aesthetic, is placed on a dark, industrial surface." width="810" height="540"/ > To see this and other works by the well known designer, see kellywearstler.com. Photography by Manan Sheth. Adrian Madlener is a Brussels-born, New York-based writer concentrating on collectible and sustainable design. With a particular focus on subjects that exhibit the very best in craft-led experimentation, he’s dedicated to supporting talents that forge ahead in different disciplines.