With Mehfil, a precious wall-mounted grotto, we wanted to bring the same level of detailing to a scale more intimate. Fine artist Gaia’s series depicting flora and fauna through geometric compositions felt perfect for the doors of this tabernacle. Here she illustrates three endangered species from the Indian subcontinent in her signature style, using beauty and artistry as her tool to draw attention to their fragility. To translate her work through craft, we collaborated with Sampigé & Co. whose intricate marquetry captures each detail with great sensitivity to the artist’s medium. We further layered the piece with a jaali-like illuminated border, refining the form through multiple prototypes. Carefully selected from natural woods and assembled piece by piece, marquetry becomes an apt medium to honour the rarity and vulnerability of the species depicted. Mehfil is both a softly illuminated gathering of these animals and a reminder of the precious lives that share our habitat.

MATERIALS: Teakwood, Brass, Indigenous hardwoods.
DIMENSIONS: 23 1/2” x 13” x 5 1/2” 600mm x 326mm x 138mm