Fusion of Tradition and Technology: Pinakin Patel's Innovative Furniture Designs
MUMBAI: When architect and designer Pinakin Patel was tasked with designing modern furniture inspired by Radha and Krishna, he created the Jhulla (swing) bed. This innovative piece, suspended by steel cables, gently rocks people to sleep. “Radha and Krishna were an amorous couple. I imagined them sleeping on a swing, so I designed this piece,” Patel explained.
The Jhulla bed is a perfect example of Patel’s approach, which blends Indian culture, lifestyle, geography, climate, and modern technology. The bed is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional, engineered to avoid banging against walls or sides. The tension in the steel cables creates a balanced pull, ensuring the bed returns to its center when pushed in any direction.
Patel’s retrospective show, titled 'The Turning Point,' opened at Nilaya Anthology and showcases his works over a five-decade career, along with 100 pieces from his personal art collection. From January 31, the exhibition will also feature works by his mentor, Dashrath Patel, a multi-hyphenate artist and one of the earliest teachers at Ahmedabad’s National Institute of Design (NID).
Among the exhibits is the gadda sofa, a modern interpretation of a traditional Gujarati piece. Historically, every Gujarati home had a gadda with bolsters, a minimal yet versatile piece of furniture that served multiple purposes. Patel’s contemporary version is a 12 feet by 12 feet piece, designed to adapt to various uses—sleeping, seating guests, playing with pets, and more. “Design lives on the peripheries of life. It reflects socio-economic changes and cultural influences,” Patel emphasizes.
Patel’s concept of ‘India modern’ or ‘India reinterpreted’ highlights how, despite adopting international living standards, there is a deep-seated Indianness in our lifestyle and design. This is evident in how we use spaces and interact with furniture, such as crossing our feet on a sofa rather than sitting upright. The number of people using a space and the ways in which it is used differ from Western norms.
Dashrath Patel, Pinakin’s mentor, has significantly shaped his design thinking. Their relationship began when Pinakin was in his 50s, and the senior Patel lived in Pinakin’s Alibaug home for about ten to twelve years. “He was a prolific artist, and I saw how it all came together in his practice,” Pinakin recalls. Some of the creations from this period will be displayed at the exhibition, alongside works from Patel’s personal art collection, which will be auctioned by Pundole’s auction house. “I have enjoyed these works for a long time, and now I want other people to appreciate them,” Pinakin says. These include a fiberglass work by Riyas Komu, small paintings by Dhruvi Acharya, and more.
The exhibition, 'The Turning Point,' opened at Nilaya Anthology in Lower Parel and will run until March 31.
