The Balustrade
As humans, our primal tendencies are to seek out emotion and inspiration.
It was this primal tendency to be inspired that led Filo to design 'the balustrade'.
It was in nature that we found our inspiration and allowed our imaginations to lead us into a world where a piece of such complexity and severity could be cantilevered into form. This piece has been handcrafted in solid wood by our master craftsmen, giving reverence to the materials that nature provides to us.
"Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven"
- Rabindranath Tagore. -
Ziya:ratsi Desk
For Centuries the Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir have lived in great harmony, greatly influenced by each other, with a distinctive way of life. Hindu thought and religion greatly influenced Kashmiri Sufis, better known as Muslim 'risis'.
Out of love and veneration one of the most revered sufi saints was 'Nandrishi'. His shrine is located in Chrar-e-Sharief. Many Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims became Nandrishi's disciples. They renounced the world and devoted themselves to meditation in a Ziya:ratsi. And on their death, the Kashmiri's, regardless of their Hindu or Muslim origin were buried in their Ziya:ratsi. This desk with its exquisite reverence for materials and serenity, is an ode to the Ziya:ratsi.
The Accidental Skyline
The New York skyline is a story in itself. In its seemingly modern skyscrapers there lives an amalgamation of character, culture, and pain rooted in a prodigious history. Through the craft of transitional veneer marquetry, Filo has attempted to capture the skyline and all its iconic buildings and history.
The New York skyline we know now is made up of renowned buildings like the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller Plaza, the Radio City Music Hall and the Chrysler Building. However, structures that give New York it’s undeniable charm include those with immense historical significance and eclectic architectural styles such as the St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Dakota on West 72nd Street. However, the real history of this iconic skyline is rooted in it’s curious creation.
It is a well known fact amongst the old New Yorkers and city planners that the skyline we see today is nothing but an extraordinary happenstance. Due to the near absence of zoning laws and regulations till the mid-late 1900’s, New York was a city where there was an explosion of new buildings that seemed to be appearing from thin air. There was simply no architectural or developmental plan for the city whatsoever. Perhaps this is part of the intangible charm that makes New York the city that it is. As such, the name so aptly given to this piece is the ‘Accidental Skyline’.
Pundarika Console
Mythological and religious significances of the lotus have had countless representations in the ancient scriptures of India.
In Buddhism, a white lotus symbolizes purity. The lotus is distinctive in that though its roots lie within the mud of a pool, its flower blooms above the water in untainted beauty.
It is also mentioned in Rigveda as 'Pundarika'. It is considered to be a symbol of divine beauty, prosperity, enlightenment, purity and fertility in Hinduism.
The "Pundarika" Console is an ode to the Padma flower.
