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    Paul Matter

    Paul Matter

    1. Where were you born and where are you from ?

    I am from India and i was born in Livingston, Zambia.

    2. What is your first memory connected to the art world ?

    My first few memories were from my childhood and the architecture around me– my summer vacations were spent in chandigarh , the city designed by Corbusier. The club that i used to visit with my parents was dezigned by Stein with lights from gino sarfatti. The massive tree outside my house when i was two or three years old. i would make attempts to draw it in its every possible detail.

    3. Have you always worked in the art/design field ?

    Yes i have. Although, I had trained briefly to become an engineer and soon i realised that design is my calling.

    4. What led you to the design creation ?

    This is something that i always wanted to do. Create things. As a kid i used to notice everyday objects , dismatle them and then attempt to remake them. My mother lost a lot of home equipment in the process. 🙂

    5. How would you describe your creative process and it influences ?

    There is no deifinitive process.At times there is a clear inspiration and at times ideas come while playing with materials. What i enjoy most is to play with my material and proportion. I enjoy a slow design process that that allows us to live with our prototypes and make iterations over time. During this time we go through a phase of editing, detailing to capture the essence of the original idea.

    6. Could you describe a typical day of your work ?

    Sometimes my day starts at the workshop overlooking production and new product development then I head to the studio . Sometimes it is the other way round. This is accompanied with a lot of coffeee. My Workshop is where my heart is !

    7. Why did you choose the specific materials you work with ?

    I get bored very easily … I want new mediums to keep me excited. Light is something that has endless possibilities so it was a perfect choice for me.. It can set different moods, although i believe the way we use light in our designs sets a certain kind of mood and qaulity. When i set out to design our first collection of lighting it was very clear to me that i want to mix light with a material that is natural, resourceful and allows to age by itself over time. India has huge history in brass and bronze and it was a natural first choice to make a debut. We continue to experiment with materials. R&D is a constant at the studio. Leather is something that we are exploring next !

    8. What are the technical particularities of your creations ?

    Devil lies in the details. Details is something that excites me. Could be hidden within the design, engineering or the finish. Some of our designs are in constant dance with gravity. This is exciting too for me! We pay a lot of attention to the end user while designing

    9. What advices could you give to beginning artists who would like to create sculptural design works ?

    There is no rule book. You can be a first !

    10. If your works had to belong to a design movement, in which one would you define it ?

    Not sure. Modernist era i guess.

    11. What designers have influenced you ?

    I have enjoyed journeys of designers that have come to India and created their design legacies. Corbusier , Stein, Eames, Ponti. I have also learnt a lot from the craftsman of my country. In my early years after graduating i had the opportunity to travel and carry out craft cluster projects across the country.

    12. What contemporary designers do you appreciate ?

    So many ! It is so hard to name one. What i appreciate most is when a designer or an artist is able to translate that unique quality onto their artwork successfuly.

    13. What contemporary artists (in any kind of art) have you been inspired by ?

    Same as above

    14. If you had to summarize your creations in one word or sentence, what would it be ?

    Simplicity

    15. Is there anything you would like to add ?

    Forgive my spellings and I am going to fix myself a drink for the next part of the interview.

    Proust Questionnaire with very short answers (one or a few words) :
    (The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust. Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde, Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)

    1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

    italian gelato

    2. What is your greatest fear?

    Wow! havent given it much thought.

    3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

    Overthink sometimes

    4. What is the trait you most deplore in others?

    too many options

    5. Which living person do you most admire?

    I admire traits of people around me all the time

    6. What is your greatest extravagance?

    Resources to make and experiment with

    7. What is your current state of mind?

    Excited to release new work and move into my new space.

    8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

    Following rules

    9. What is the quality you most like in a man?

    Chivalry

    10. What is the quality you most like in a woman?

    So many. Resourcefulness

    11. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

    To each his own

    12. Which talent would you most like to have?

    Play a saxophone.

    13. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

    Be more social

    14. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

    So far the trek i did in sakleshpur , south india with deadly snakes wild elephants and bad weather.

    15. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

    As a Camera

    16. Where would you most like to live?

    Keeps changine. It was an island last year, currently it is a Japanese village.

    17. What is your most treasured possession?

    I havent posessed it yet. A Boat

    18. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

    Not having faith

    19. What is your favorite occupation?

    Art/Design

    20. What is your most marked characteristic?

    Driven

    21. What do you most value in your friends?

    they should Have my back

    22. Who are your favorite writers?

    Ayn Rand

    23. Who is your hero of fiction?

    24. Which historical figure do you most identify with?

    25. Who are your heroes in real life?

    My Mother

    26. What are your favorite names?

    N.A

    27. What is it that you most dislike?

    Self pity

    28. What is your greatest regret?

    Not had one yet.

    29. How would you like to die?

    Healthy

    30. What is your motto?

    Life is now

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