An idea of timeless beauty expressed through tradition, heritage, materials of high quality and international inspirations, to narrate the creative philosophy of DeMuro Das, the design studio founded by Brian DeMuro and Puru Das, with production based in New Delhi and a display space in the Flatiron District.
The brand made in India pays close attention to emerging talents and constant research on innovation, leading it to involve one of the most highly acclaimed design schools – Rhode Island School of Design – in a competition that began in the spring of 2021. “Working with students while they hone their creative voices has pushed the boundaries of our design – says Brian DeMuro. – We are excited to show their work and at the same time to experiment with our own production capacities.”
The theme of the competition is the design of “double” pieces, namely one item self-produced during the course, and another to be manufactured in the factor in New Delhi. A challenge for the young students guided by Patricia Johnson, RISD Associate Professor, and Jean Lin – founder and curator of Colony, a cooperative gallery and design studio in New York – which has led to the creation of some genuine masterpieces.
There are three selected winners: Alexis Tingey with the Swan coffee table inspired by the movement of the Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova, produced by DeMuro Das, and completed by the self-produced Pavlova divider. An original combination of Surrealism and the American Southwest, on the other hand, has generated Surrealist Screen by Virginia Gordon, a creation that suggests the sculptural shapes of the traditional cacti in the landscape. Ready for production, the Vision Table reveals the painstaking inlay work performed by the brand.
Finally, the Minka – rural dwellings built in various traditional Japanese styles – have been shifted by Maxwell Taylor-Milner into the Cabinet self-produced with the Shou Sugi Ban technique utilized to preserve wood by charring its surface, while for the DeMuro Das production the designer has imagined special hardware made in different, unusual shapes.
Imagination and experimentation: the exhibition in the New York showroom becomes a stage on which to have a close look at the innovations and avant-garde approaches of three young students, new emerging talents on whom to “keep an eye.” It also features design drawings by all the participants, revealing the “backstage” aspects of the creative process.
DeMuro Das
900 Broadway Suite 1001 – New York
www.demurodas.com
RISD
Rhode Island School of Design
2 College St, Providence – RI
www.risd.edu
Colony
324 Canal Street – New York
www.colonydesign.nyc
