In a celebration of life and art, Gitesh Mehta, the founder of White Studios, delves into the captivating world of Warli through their latest collection, ‘Zoi.’ White Studios, known for embodying purity and uniqueness, seamlessly merges art with design, aesthetics, and experience. The collaboration between designers and skilled ‘ustaads’ artisans results in distinctive pieces, each inspired by traditional crafts, historical art styles, and contemporary shapes.
Going beyond conventional furniture, White Studios considers each creation as a narrative waiting to unfold, exemplified by their newest collection, Zoi. The 16-artifact collection draws inspiration from the vibrant essence of the Maharashtrian tribal art form, Warli. It includes a diverse range of pieces such as accent chairs, loungers, side tables, center tables, floor lamps, serve ware, and decorative items.
At the heart of Zoi lies ‘The Clan,’ a collection of smaller decor objects crafted through sand casting and sheet metal fabrication. These handcrafted pieces bring everyday scenes to life, from vases inspired by women carrying water matkas to chip-n-dip platters reminiscent of ‘palki’ bearers and candle holders inspired by dancing figures. The Clan transforms routine into the extraordinary, inviting us to celebrate life daily through these meticulously created masterpieces using various craft techniques such as etching, sand casting, and metal fabrication.
White Studios takes pride in creating experiences rather than just selling furniture, exploring materials and merging arts with design, all with a touch of the ‘hand-made’ element. Gitesh Mehra, the founder of White Studios, explains that “Zoi coalesces traditional Warli elements with iconic silhouettes, creating a maximalist cavern from afar that simplifies upon closer inspection, revealing the beauty of straight lines, circles, and triangles deeply rooted in every product.” The form of each product in the Zoi collection was meticulously designed, aiming to revive iconic silhouettes by visualizing Warli in a modern context with contemporary colors, materials, and finishes.
