Beyond The Brass Tracks

Through Studio Metallurgy, Advaeita Mathur offers intriguing designs created out of everyday objects

What does design mean to you?

AM: I like to define design as creative problem solving, since it includes esthetic beauty and balance as core elements in addition to utility. We are surrounded by ‘design’, from the keypad I use with its arrangement of keys in a particular order to my coffee mug being cylindrical instead of a cuboid.

How did Studio Metallurgy come about?

AM: The starting point for Studio Metallurgy was my love for industrial minimalist design. I wanted to experiment with mixed media like industrial hardware, concrete, metal, wood, and fiber glass to create concept driven contemporary jewelry and products that are collectibles and exemplify elegant luxury. I set it up in 2015 in New Delhi.

Tell us about your formative years in design.

AM: I pursued my training in fashion design from Marangoni, Milan. It was an invigorating experience and further reinforced my belief that exposure to diverse cultures and experimental mediums is critical to one’s creative maturity and original thought. My stay in Italy and travels across Europe played an important role in molding my formative design sensibilities and personal style. I appreciate minimalism and my design inspiration is often rooted in my fascination with the raw, sleek industrial feel that defines modernism.