In the 1840s, when the British were still in the process of converting the hill stations of Ooty and Coonoor into their summer retreats, they shipped over a batch of Blue Gum eucalyptus from Australia to cultivate for firewood and timber. Thus, a gradual transformation of the Nilgiris began, from a landscape of natural wilderness to one of plantation forestry. By the 1980s, this transformation had degraded the soil’s fertility, depleted the water table, and reduced the biodiversity of the grasslands.
Those who swear by eucalyptus oil for their stuffed noses might not be aware of how this part of our colonial history continues to threaten the Nilgiris today. Still, it’s the sort of dinner table conversation that architect Sona Reddy hopes to spark with her installation 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 short of spectacular — a caravan of 45 rams, created by Hyderabad-based All Kind studio, marches down a 15-ft. dining table, while a swooping red textile installation references the weaving traditions of the Toda tribe, native to the region. Each piece could potentially inspire a line of inquiry on its own, but the magic lies in how it all comes together as a space where people want to stay, converse, learn and linger.
(From left) Shilo Shiv Suleman; Sona Reddy; Eeshaan Kashyap
Across the aisle is another tablescape that pays homage to an endangered ecosystem: contemporary artist Shilo Shiv Suleman’s Intimacies. Described as a “magico-realist oceanscape,” it is inspired by Judy Chicago’s iconic 1970s visual art installation The Dinner Party, and celebrates the women of history and mythology through the metaphor of the ocean. Brass, glass and pearls, shell-shaped ornaments and jasmine flowers celebrate 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 art
Next up, we find Eeshaan Kashyap’s Vivid Dreams offer space to a very different kind of underappreciated heroine — the humble bartan. On his table, we see our traditional kitchen utensils — handis, lotas, thaalis — reinterpreted with a velveteen twist. Crowd favourites include a brass water tumbler and a golden pyrite candlestand that perfectly offset the blend 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 is péro goes Cuckoo — curated by larger-than-life fashion label péro — offering an equally whacky tablescape inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Nonsense, where an assortment of toys, faux fruit and colourful objects beg to be played with. These oddities are paired with luscious textiles, including handwoven Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh, Mashru silk from Gujarat, gabardine and taffeta silks from the South, lightweight weaves from Benaras and linen and gauze, solids and Jamdani from West Bengal, with tableware from Nilaya completing the tableau. As a self-professed ode to the “wonderfully whacky”, péro’s installation hits the nail on something most hosts struggle to encapsulate: as extravagant as your table may be, the party is only fun once you leave your inhibitions aside.
‘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, investigate, elevate and celebrate everything a lighting object could be. A Gathering of Light, curated by Tanish Malji and Maithili Goradia, brings together 23 designers from a range of mediums to present their unique interpretation of the candlestand. Like the tablescape installations, each candlestand is much more than the sum of its parts: some are a deconstruction of the traditional form, others render their functionality 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 through the nerikomi pottery technique, inspired by a recent trip to Japan. Homeland Elegies by Nongo forefronts the motifs and traditions of the designer’s native Nagaland, essayed in terracotta and Dokra by master 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 into a sculptural scaffold, referencing the traditional building materials of Northeast India. Conversely, The Back Studio creates a frame out of industrial 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, creative director at Mumbai-based Nilaya Anthology. “Decor has become incredibly personal,” she adds. “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 some of the world’s most aspirational luxury brands under the same roof as India’s most cutting-edge designers, the space also offers a much-needed education in out-of-the-box thinking.
Maybe you’ll pick up a decor tip or two, maybe you’ll be more mindful of where you buy your eucalyptus oil from, but walking into Nilaya Anthology this festive season is going to shed some new light on more than just design.
The exhibits, ‘The Art of Hosting’ and ‘Gathering of Light’, are on view at Gallery 1 & 2, Nilaya Anthology, Lower Parel, Mumbai, till October 30.
The freelance writer and playwright is based in Mumbai.
Published – October 03, 2025 06:10 pm IST
