In the 1840s, when the British had been nonetheless within the strategy of changing the hill stations of Ooty and Coonoor into their summer time retreats, they shipped over a batch of Blue Gum eucalyptus from Australia to domesticate for firewood and timber. Thus, a gradual transformation of the Nilgiris started, from a panorama of pure wilderness to considered one of plantation forestry. By the Eighties, this transformation had degraded the soil’s fertility, depleted the water table, and diminished the biodiversity of the grasslands.
Those who swear by eucalyptus oil for his or her stuffed noses won’t concentrate on how this a part of our colonial historical past continues to threaten the Nilgiris at present. Still, it’s the kind of dinner table dialog that architect Sona Reddy hopes to spark together with her set up An Ode to the Nilgiris, curated for Nilaya Anthology’s festive showcase The Art of Hosting.
‘The Art of Hosting’ by Sona Reddy.
The curation itself is nothing in need of spectacular — a caravan of 45 rams, created by Hyderabad-based All Kind studio, marches down a 15-ft. eating table, whereas a swooping pink textile set up references the weaving traditions of the Toda tribe, native to the area. Each piece may probably encourage a line of inquiry by itself, however the magic lies in the way it all comes collectively as an area the place individuals need to keep, converse, study and linger.
(From left) Shilo Shiv Suleman; Sona Reddy; Eeshaan Kashyap
Across the aisle is one other tablescape that pays homage to an endangered ecosystem: up to date artist Shilo Shiv Suleman’s Intimacies. Described as a “magico-realist oceanscape,” it’s impressed by Judy Chicago’s iconic Seventies visible artwork set up The Dinner Party, and celebrates the ladies of historical past and mythology via the metaphor of the ocean. Brass, glass and pearls, shell-shaped ornaments and jasmine flowers have fun femininity with a glimmer of mysticism. “Through Intimacies, Suleman invites Draupadi, Amrapali, Nur-Jahan, Laxmi, Lalleshwari and the Buraq to come together,” the plaque describes, “This table… hosts women who need to be given more space, recognition and respect for the stories they create and share.”
‘The Art of Hosting’ by Shilo Shiv Suleman
A plethora of artwork
Next up, we discover Eeshaan Kashyap’s Vivid Dreams provide area to a really completely different sort of underappreciated heroine — the standard bartan. On his table, we see our conventional kitchen utensils — handis, lotas, thaalis — reinterpreted with a velveteen twist. Crowd favourites embrace a brass water tumbler and a golden pyrite candlestand that completely offset the mix of fuschias, pinks, reds and purple velvets that anchor the assemblage. “My idea was to bring togetherness to the table,” shares the tablescape artist and multi-disciplinary designer. “The idea was, how do you deconstruct, or reimagine, a new way of eating food?”
‘The Art of Hosting’ by Eeshaan Kashyap.
Finally, there may be péro goes Cuckoo — curated by larger-than-life trend label péro — providing an equally whacky tablescape impressed by Lewis Carroll’s Nonsense, the place an assortment of toys, fake fruit and vibrant objects beg to be performed with. These oddities are paired with luscious textiles, together with handwoven Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh, Mashru silk from Gujarat, gabardine and taffeta silks from the South, light-weight weaves from Benaras and linen and gauze, solids and Jamdani from West Bengal, with tableware from Nilaya finishing the tableau. As a self-professed ode to the “wonderfully whacky”, péro’s set up hits the nail on one thing most hosts wrestle to encapsulate: as extravagant as your table could also be, the celebration is just enjoyable as soon as you permit your inhibitions apart.
‘The Art of Hosting’ by péro.
Standing tall
Running parallel to this showcase is the curation of one-of-a-kind collectible candlestands that deconstruct, examine, elevate and have fun the whole lot a lighting object may very well be. A Gathering of Light, curated by Tanish Malji and Maithili Goradia, brings collectively 23 designers from a spread of mediums to current their distinctive interpretation of the candlestand. Like the tablescape installations, every candlestand is rather more than the sum of its elements: some are a deconstruction of the normal kind, others render their performance in playful ways.
‘Gathering of Light’ for Nilaya Anthology.
Ceramic artist Tosha Jagad’s Best of Foes lightheartedly reimagines her studio’s iconic cat motif via the nerikomi pottery approach, impressed by a latest journey to Japan. Homeland Elegies by Nongo forefronts the motifs and traditions of the designer’s native Nagaland, essayed in terracotta and Dokra by grasp artisans Dolon Kundu and Suresh Waghmare.
Candlestands (clockwise from far left) ‘Afterglow’ by Priyanka Shah; by Ananth Ramaswamy; ‘Your Perfect Tits’ by Nandini Chandavakar; Claymen; by Tosha Jagad.
Aku Zeliang’s Bamboo and Flame turns the candlestand right into a sculptural scaffold, referencing the normal constructing supplies of Northeast India. Conversely, The Back Studio creates a body out of business {hardware}, commenting on the paradox between “structure and fragility”.
Celebrating craft
“The idea was to explore product creation in a joyful, spontaneous way,” shares Pavitra Rajaram, inventive director at Mumbai-based Nilaya Anthology. “Decor has become incredibly personal,” she provides. “We want what speaks to us and holds meaning, and both these shows focus on individual expressions of creation and celebration.” As Nilaya Anthology brings a number of the world’s most aspirational luxurious manufacturers underneath the identical roof as India’s most cutting-edge designers, the area additionally affords a much-needed schooling in out-of-the-box pondering.
Maybe you’ll choose up a decor tip or two, perhaps you’ll be extra conscious of the place you purchase your eucalyptus oil from, however strolling into Nilaya Anthology this festive season goes to shed some new light on extra than simply design.
The displays, ‘The Art of Hosting’ and ‘Gathering of Light’, are on view at Gallery 1 & 2, Nilaya Anthology, Lower Parel, Mumbai, until October 30.
The freelance author and playwright relies in Mumbai.
Published – October 03, 2025 06:10 pm IST
