Vikram Goyal x Nilufar | PAD London

At this year’s PAD London (10 - 15 October 2023), Vikram Goyal showcased collectible design pieces that demonstrate his New Delhi-based workshop’s mastery of metal. Curated by Nilufar, this notable debut at PAD marks Goyal’s first international exhibition and the first solo presentation at the global design fair by a contemporary designer from India. It comes at a time of heightened interest in art, craft, and design from the Indian sub-continent within the collectible market, and attention on the region as a hub for global creativity.

The collection of ten limited-edition pieces features furniture (consoles, benches, side tables), lighting (chandeliers, wall sconces) and wall panels – all intricately hand-made by expert artisans. Each object explores and celebrates a range of heritage techniques in metalwork that have existed in India as early as the 3rd or 4th century BC. One such is repoussé, the art of painstakingly hand-beating a metal sheet into three-dimensional forms. Vikram Goyal has spent 20 years cultivating expertise in this skill, and others, among his artisans, developing an abstract sophistication and contemporary design language, often imbuing almost academic and surprisingly modern interpretations of Indian cultural traditions, narratives and philosophies into his work. New pieces by Italian designer Christian Pellizzari will offer an enriching creative exchange with Vikram Goyal’s work on the stand.