It takes two: Paul Matter debuts his dancing ’Tango’ lights in India
![Product designer Nikhil Paul opened the doors to his Paul Matter Studio in New Delhi, India, with a debut lighting collection called ‘Tango’](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5XNDWA28SQCD3fVwBkmiRZ-415-80.jpg)
Based in New Delhi, Nikhil Paul’s opened the doors to his Paul Matter Studio with a debut lighting collection entitled ‘Tango’. The studio’s original and custom lamps, for residential and commercial settings, take cues from mid-century modernism and the Industrial Age. Of course India’s tradition of unassuming craftsmanship and Paul’s own sense of minimalism delivered the chattel.
'We couldn’t find the sort of utilitarian yet elegant lighting that we had in mind. Everything in the market was either extremely product-y or antiques and what we were looking for was something that combined aged materials yet was still minimal and contemporary,' says Paul. If you can’t find it, make it, as they say.
And so ‘Tango’ developed from there – a playful experimentation of geometric forms that float in space all and all with a slight vintage flair. 'Low hanging elbows and beaten brass shades enable fixtures to be artfully arranged and reconfigured to emit soft pools of light,' says Paul. And the name ‘Tango’ is apropos of the Buenos Aires dance melting together rhythm, posture and abrupt pauses.
Hand finished in the studio their belief is in longevity of design in terms of materiality and also in the visual language. 'The pieces draw from a rich material palette that includes buffed and aged brass, copper, stone, leather and glass,' explains Paul. 'These materials get better with time and use and they can be used in their truest form whilst still revealing their layers.'
The studio’s original and custom lamps, for residential and commercial settings, take cues from mid-century modernism and the Industrial Age
Of course India’s tradition of unassuming craftsmanship and Paul’s own sense of minimalism delivered the chattel
'Tango' is a playful experimentation of geometric forms that float in space all and all with a slight vintage flair
The name ‘Tango’ is apropos of the Buenos Aires dance melting together rhythm, posture and abrupt pauses
Hand finished in the studio their belief is in longevity of design in terms of materiality and also in the visual language
INFORMATION
For more information on Paul Matter Studio, visit the website
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Daniel Scheffler is a storyteller for The New York Times and others. He has a travel podcast with iHeart Media called Everywhere and a Substack newsletter, Withoutmaps, where he shares all his wild ways. He lives in New York with his husband and their pup.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
India’s stepwells inspire Shalini Misra’s rug collection
Shalini Misra’s Stepwells collection of rugs for Cc-tapis is informed by the traditional structures, recreated in three designs
By Henrietta Thompson Published
-
Meet Æquō, the Indian design gallery presenting the antiquities of the future
Founded by Tarini Jindal Handa, Æquō offers an insight into the multiple personalities of Indian craft
By Maria Cristina Didero Published
-
How this Mumbai-based brand upcycles carbon emissions
Start-up Carbon Craft Design uses harvested pollution to create tiles
By Sujata Burman Last updated
-
World View: Letter from India
Our new series shines light on the creativity and resilience of designers around the world as they confront the challenges wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic. Working with our international contributors, we reach out to creative talents to ponder the power of design in difficult times and share messages of hope. In Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi, studios and designers have been connecting with team members through craft, while stepping back to appreciate local sources, writes our design editor, digital, Sujata Burman
By Sujata Burman Last updated
-
A material world: Rajiv Saini designs new Atmosphere flagship in Mumbai
By Sujata Burman Last updated
-
How bamboo design is reaching out to rural India
By Divia Patel Last updated