Long after conceptualist Marcel Duchamp showed the way by breaking down the boundaries between works of art and everyday objects, American company Kohler has converted the bathroom sink into a piece of contemporary ‘functional art.’ The American company, founded in 1873, launched Quila, its limited edition series of sinks — at Rs 5 lakh apiece.
The artwork was done in collaboration with Padma Shree-winning miniaturist Jai Prakash Lakhiwal. It depicts a spring landscape, with Rajput forts, flora and fauna.
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“India probably has the widest tradition of art and craft, so we thought it was time to invest in paying homage to Indian traditions. The Quila is certainly very different from what people expect to see in a bathroom,” says Salil Sadanandan, President, Kohler, South Asia, Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Lakhiwal is a self-taught artist who has received numerous awards, besides the Padma Shree. His works can be seen in Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Prime Mister’s Office and the Supreme Court, among others. He also paints for a high-end Japanese kimono brand. He specialises in Kota, Kangra and the British Era (Company Style) miniature styles. The Quila suite derives its inspiration from the Kangra and Kota schools.
The exclusive Kohler artwork, which was created on a two-dimensional medium, had to be carefully transferred to the three-dimensional bathroom basin. “We scanned these paintings and converted them into lithographs which were transferred on to the ceramic surface. It is all about craftsmanship and precision, without any automation” says Anand Asinkar, Lead Industrial designer, Kohler India Studio.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
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