Twist On Tradition

Pioneers of the India modern style, these product designers seek inspiration from the Indian aesthetic and culture, and transform it into innovative designs fit for a contemporary home

RASEEL GUJRAL ANSAL, 54

Co-founder and Creative Director, Casa Paradox, Delhi www.casaparadox.com

Before the term India modern was coined, Raseel Gujral Ansal was already creating designs that fit the bill. She started as an interior-architect for her father’s firm back in 86; in 93 she founded Casa Paradox with her now-husband Naveen Ansal to create furniture pieces for her projects. “No one understood contemporary, everyone was in a Raj or ethnic hangover. So in 95 we opened our first retail showroom,” says Raseel. And people made a bee-line for her pieces. Not surprisingly, Raseel never strayed too far from art. She launched a collection called Illustrati that placed art on furniture; then there was the graphic-driven art by the metre. During this process, she developed a large repository of graphics. So, Casa Pop was born four years ago. At the moment she is in a black and white state of mind, with her Monochrome collection at the forefront. “I started working on Monochrome last summer. We have used Indian techniques and materials such as inlay with stone and brass, but the overall feel is very contemporary,” she says.

What’s your design style?

I am not single faceted. I am influenced by the West, by the East and by where I was born. I am contemporary, traditional and fun, and through it all I am art-driven. I use traditional Indian techniques and materials and reinterpret them for a global home. It was never intentional, but it just so happens that these elements are what India modern is all about.

What’s next?