For many creatives, geography is less a fixed point than an inheritance, carried across borders and reimagined in new contexts. This is true for Utharaa Zacharias and Palaash Chaudhary, founders of Soft-Geometry, a practice that took root in India and found a fuller expression in the US, as the two became partners in work and life.
Utharaa Zacharias and Palaash Chaudhary photographed at their LA studio, June 2026
A rich cultural potpourri is the core of their practice. ‘Palaash is from Ghaziabad, near Delhi, and I am from Kochi, Kerala; it would be hard to pick two places more diametrically opposite,' says Zacharias. Growing up, they spoke different languages, ate different food and were raised in different religions, but their friendship found common ground in design. It began in college in Delhi and continued at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, where working on projects revealed a shared aesthetic. One afternoon, they scribbled in a notebook that together they made ‘soft geometries'.
Soft Geometry: a declaration of intent
A ‘Mirrors for Aliens’, a ‘Long-haired’ sconce, an ‘Elio’ lamp and ‘Molecule’ sculptures in Soft Geometry's studio
The phrase became the name of their practice, established in 2019 in San Francisco and built on intricate, imperfect and layered forms, moulded in malleable materials such as cane, wool, repurposed wood, acrylic, wax, resin, hemp, lime and concrete, with subtle callbacks to their culture. ‘The shortcut to Indian design is often to ‘apply' it, to reduce centuries of craft knowledge into an identifiably Indian-looking pattern,' says Chaudhary. ‘Instead, we attempt, with flaws, to uncover the underlying philosophies and natural behaviours that inform subcultures, rather than simply adopting the visual.'
We attempt, with flaws, to uncover the underlying philosophies and natural behaviours that inform subcultures, rather than simply adopting the visual
Palaash Chaudhary
While the studio life brought excitement, the uncertainty of US visas meant they never felt tied to any one city. The idea of ‘the studio is wherever we are' took form, and over time, they moved to Los Angeles. Inevitably, tensions of US life began to seep into their work. A pivotal show, the 2023 ‘Mirrors for Aliens' at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, emerged from the rigidity of immigrant life.
At the time, the two had applied for the EB-1A green card, for ‘Aliens of extraordinary ability', in an effort to escape a 22-year waiting list for Indian workers. The idea came to them one night while washing their thali platters, when they noticed their reflections in them. Night after night, as they worked on their visa applications, they cleaned and sanded the plates, hoping the reflections would grow clearer. ‘This simple ritual gave us a way to process the emotional intensity of proving ourselves and planted the seed for ‘Mirrors for Aliens',' says Zacharias. They are now a permanent fixture in the museum's collection.
More pieces from the 'Flowers in our Hair' Series
For their more recent ‘Flowers in our Hair' sconce collection, the duo drew on childhood memories and the California superbloom to create lighting inspired by petals, schoolgirl pigtails and the intimate rituals of oiling, combing and braiding hair. As their work circles home and memory, Soft-Geometry's next chapter feels closer still. With a baby on the way, life and work seem to be drawing closer with cosy family time, more objects shaped by India and ‘more softness'.
This article appears in the August 2026 Issue of Wallpaper*, available now in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today