Style sutra: Sculpted lines

“I have always been open to experimenting and taking up design challenges, whether it be my sculptures, sets for theatre etc. So furniture was something which I naturally slipped into. The idea seemed very workable, and I felt it would expand my design horizon. That’s how it all began,” said Arzan, explaining his new design venture, which has been created for luxury brand ICasa.

All of the pieces in the line have been built around a similar theme, which their creator describes as relating to “foliage, fauna and nature”. He adds that the development of these pieces around this common theme happened automatically, and was not a conscious effort. Arzan says this has always been the case with all of his work, whether in the realms of art or design.

“Unless the art work is a (specifically) commissioned piece, then what is created as a design is always natural. Whenever I design, I go with the flow. So it was in this case as well, I wanted the pieces to be sculptural, something that embodies my style of work. But they had to be comfortable too, no one wants to sit on a bench that looks good but is uncomfortable,” Arzan says.

While his explanation of how he works may make Arzan’s design process seem very organic and spontaneous, the sculptor says that there are times when it is very planned as well, “Sculptures work both ways,” he explains. “Some are spontaneous, as in even when you’re not planning to create something, suddenly an idea strikes when you see some raw material at the studio. Then there are times when you start a piece because a composition makes sense to you. Day by day, you keep working on it, adding to it. Then there’s the third way, where you have the piece planned right down to the T, from the beginning, and then you execute it.”

Arzan has always professed his admiration for the sculptor Adi Davierwala, however, he adds that in creating any piece of work, the inspirations are numerous.

“When you’re at a certain stage, when you’re working on a piece of art whether it’s a sculpture or a candle stand, hundreds of factors influence you. You cannot discern what exactly it is that has inspired you when you apply your mind to design. It is a combination of what you see around you, what you’ve seen over the years, your own style” Arzan says.

It’s been a long journey for Arzan, who received his first commission for a public work back in 1985. He’s driven constantly by the need to create what he hasn’t before and says, “I want to be shocked by what I create today. It has to be more innovative than what I did yesterday. That’s what drives me.”

He is currently experimenting with clay, and wants to convert those works to bronze eventually. Wood assemblies, created from scraps of cut pieces of wood, and 3-by-3 canvases of ink patterns are some other works Arzan is dabbling in. “Art today is no longer restricted to galleries and pedestals,” he says. “Design sensibilities have heightened to a level where a designer is needed in every aspect of life. Be it a pen, or a car, no one wants to be seen with anything ugly around them.”