From art to utility, Satyendra Pakhalé's eco-conscious designs shine at PAN Amsterdam

The Netherlands-based designer Satyendra Pakhalé, represented by Rademakers Gallery, Amsterdam showcased his new works at the renowned art fair PAN Amsterdam that took place from November 19 to 26, 2023. The Rademakers Gallery’s main pillars are women artists and sustainability. The latter is a, continuing theme in Indian architect and industrial designer, Satyendra Pakhalé’s oeuvre. With his commitment to engaging with diverse crafts from around the world along with technology and the use of natural and discarded materials to craft upcycled designs, the product designer presented three new works, namely Ananda Delight: a Tibetan hand-knotted tapestry, Cayo Cloud: a ceremonial and utilitarian piece and Meander: a living sculpture. The common link that connects these new works by the Indian designer is that they are long-lasting and made from natural materials and discarded industrial materials, aligning with his sustainable design approach.

Ananda Delight

Ananda meaning ‘happiness’ is a totemic tapestry. What makes Ananda Delight's product design rare is its unique Tibetan hand-knotting technique and the alchemy of the hand-dying process of natural wool and fine silk in a variety of subtle hues of colours creating meaning. The shades of blue indicate infinity and the silence of the sky. The totemic delightful embodied form provides an architectonic context to the piece. These elements create a feeling of a ‘passage of time’ and depth in the piece. The natural wool and fine silk spun and dyed by hand, give the Ananda Delight tapestry subtle sensorial variations in colour and texture, each leading to become a unique piece in the limited edition.

Cayo Cloud

When an object of utility becomes an object of art without compromising its functionality is what Cayo Cloud is about. This highly crafted technological object made in extra transparent bent glass is ceremonial and utilitarian at the same time. The cloud artwork that is glazed on the entire glass plane of the piece, with its fractal geometry creates a feeling of being random yet it has a natural structure beneath, composes a poetic rhythm from its continuity and shadows. The table design is made from extra clear glass that is an eco-sustainable material par excellence because of its potentially infinite recyclability that does not generate any kind of waste, as well as non-toxic and aseptic.

Meander

The Meander is a living sculpture as a seating object for intuitive, active use in all sorts of living spaces. It can be stacked in various directions and is ideal for spontaneous use. The relational geometry of the Meander makes it tessellate perfectly in both upright and horizontal positions – creating a fascinating landscape in an interior space. The furniture designer, observes, “The main feature of this object is that it evokes a playful response in people. They pick up the Meander from the stacked composition, use it for sitting however they like, and place it back.” Meander is made of upcycled acrylic fabric. Acrylic is a synthetic man-made material that was originally developed to be an alternative to wool. Today it’s widely popular and is used in apparel, upholstery and boat covers just to name a few. "Its overproduction worldwide and its overconsumption in our throw-away society led me to recycle it for making Meander. The choice that the piece does not give a trace of upcycling this industrially discarded material is a conscious decision," shares Pakhalé.