Double X ideas at Maximum

I was at the Maximum Store last week, to check out an exhibition of paintings by Kavita Dikshit .Her collection titled " From the Beaten Track" was minitaure meets kitsch. Very colourful, lot of interesting detailing and a very pop-art theme.She uses crayons in layers, peeling sections off to reveal what lies beneath.Perhaps, a true testament to the reality that is India---understood in layers, revealing as much as it hides.Seamless but not neutral...Colourful yet serene. Where there is movement in inertia and a silence that is much louder than the chaos.

But my adventure that afternoon into the winding lanes of Shahpur Jat was to be much more than an exploration of art. It also gave me the opportunity to meet Anita, Sairee and Preeti and catch up with the latest that has been happening with them. Looks like they have been quite busy !! Mridula Sahay has put together an amazing amalgamation of creative enterprise in a retail format.

I absolutely loved the products that were on display at the store and ended up doing a fair bit of shopping myself. Maximum unlocks the bohemian soul trapped inside our neutral minimalist sensibilities and sets our imagination on fire.

If the accessories don't appeal, the animals will. I took a liking to a pair of giraffes and intend to go back next week and bring them home :) Perhaps the lovely mirror in a distressed finish as well !!

That is not all the the store is about, though. Apart from the colourful maternity line, home accessories, art and jewellery the store adds an unusual element to its signature. It is also a hub where seminars are regularly held on various issues like wealth mangement and health, book readings engage your mind and the creative arts are given a new lease of life.

Go get your car keys---drive on over . I am sure you will not be disappointed .

Contemporary Glass

I found out about Gilles Jones Glass when I was reading up on Jigisha Patel who is featured in my previous post.It is so interesting how cyberspace enables such discoveries.
I particularly liked the acoustic bowls and the Aesculus designed by Kate Jones and realised by glassmakes Stephen Gilles. You can see their product range on their website and blog
The Aesculus bowl (green one in the pic above),made in sand carved blown glass is inspired by the horse chestnut seed. The layers are a metaphor for evolving form and thought. The first pic which is of Acoustic owl is a recent design.
Pics by Pete Chambers and Tony Bartholomew

Design Rug Little Field of Flowers

Tord Boontje's 'Little Field of Flowers'
Modern Rug from the Nanimarquina collection Spain

In 1987, Barcelona-based designer Nani Marquina established a textile and rug design studio. Since 1993, the company’s designs have been manufactured in northern India. Marquina has devoted her career to promoting sustainable ethics in production. Her definition of “sustainable” applies both to materials (her rugs are mostly biodegradable, and one, Bicicleta, is made from recycled bike inner tubes) and to fair labor and trade practices. One of the most popular design rugs in the Nanimarquina collection is the Little Field of Flowers rug, the first rug by Netherlands-born, England-trained, France-based Tord Boontje.

Tord Boontje's 'Little Field of Flowers'
Modern Rug from the Nanimarquina collection Spain

The Little Field of Flowers rug is made using felt strips, lending a texture that is very soft and pleasant, yet strong. A little space for day dreaming. With 'Little Field of Flowers' you’ll feel as if you’re resting in a cool meadow on a hot summer's day - your own small place for relaxing and daydreaming. It has a certain lightness to it which creates a comfortable environment.


Tord Boontje's 'Little Field of Flowers'
Modern Rug from the Nanimarquina collection Spain

Following the philosophy of Studio Tord Boontje, this design gently softens angles, finding its inspiration in nature and playing with shapes and layers to seduce your imagination and awaken your emotions.



Tord Boontje's 'Little Field of Flowers'
Modern Rug from the Nanimarquina collection Spain

Little Field of Flowers is hand loomed from 100% New Zealand wool felt which is hand dyed.


How the Little Field of Flowers rug is made

From an article in Dwell which explains how this rug is made: depending on the size of the rug—they come in three sizes—one or two technicians operate the loom, which involves painstaking manual labor. “Every two or three lines,” Nani Marquina explains, “we insert a pair of die-cut flowers. They are fixed through a wool thread that is woven between the flowers and the base.” The technicians follow an intricate pattern, much like in knitting, which graphically conveys the intended location of each distinct flower pairing. They can produce one rug in a seven-hour workday. “It wasn’t easy,” Marquina remembers, “to find manufacturers willing to take on this project—it’s quite complex.”

The Nanimarquina rug collection is sold in the USA through Stardust.