Waris Alhuwalia
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
A profile
-as interviewed by Lavina Melwani (Writer, New York-Lavina Melwani is a New York based writer, recipient of seven IPPIES and two New America media awards. She writes on the arts for several international publications. She is a blogger for the Smithsonian.)
Inspired by Venice's age-old legacy of commerce and culture, Waris sought out artists, artisans and designers from around the world that each possessed exceptional talent, passion and devotion to their work. He found objects that imbue living with a sense of excitement, charm and wonder. A relentless discoverer, he commissioned some objects, found others and designed others. The result is the House of Waris Collection seen by thousands of visitors, art collectors and art lovers, and shared across international media. In all his travels from the streets of Paris to the deserts of Rajasthan, Ahluwalia, who lives in New York City, has searched for untold stories of art and artisans, and nurtured nameless, faceless craftspeople. Some what of an art maverick, he looks for beauty in unexpected places.
As he says, "the journey of meeting these individuals and hearing their stories was itself an adventure, an expedition that brought me to the souks of Fes, the woods of Upstate New York, the streets of Paris, and which continues in your homes and lives. It affirmed my belief that craftsmanship is not a thing of the past or a fleeting trend of today but a timeless practice that connects mankind with each other."
So is every atom, every swirling piece of flotsam and jetsam art or is 'art' something rarified, only to be found on the walls of art galleries, museums and palaces?
He is there in the movies, in the pages of luxury magazines, on the red carpet from New York to Miami to Venice.
He spent 2014 in the most happening parties from Europe to America and acted in Deepa Mehta's latest movie, Beeba Boys. Ahluwalia has also collaborated with Illesteva Eyewear on a line of sunglasses that launched April 2013. The same year, he also modelled in a Gap Make Love campaign which caused a lot of buzz.
He's become an art expert by osmosis and even contributed an essay on art to The Paris Review in 2012. In 2011, he held a NY Fashion Week event at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) and collaborated with luxury brands from De Beers to the World Gold Council. As he told The New York Times back in 2011, "I fell into jewellery by accident, the universe opened a door and I walked through it."
Art, style and fashion have certainly merged in his personality and lifestyle. In 2010 he was on Vanity Fair's Best Dressed List and in Vogue's 10 Most Impactful List. He's even been a chaiwalla, albeit a fancy one, creating a pop-up tea room serving Himalayan tea under the Highline park in Manhattan in 2010.
Early life
His early life was down-to-earth and routine. As a small boy he studied in Amritsar, travelling by auto-rickshaw to school. His parents ran a school which they had named after him. After the family migrated to the US, he lived in gritty Queens, as a young Sikh boy. Somewhere along the line, as a lanky teenager he travelled to Manhattan by subway and discovered the world of city clubs and underground parties.
Life morphed and took a fancy turn; he gradually became a part of Hollywood, mixing with the best and brightest such as Spike Lee and Denzel Washington. He's friends with Wes Anderson and has acted in his films The Darjeeling Limited, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and most recently Grand Budapest Hotel, as well as Spike Lee's Inside Man.
Arts
Perhaps his journey began when his late father, Paramjit Singh, named him after his favourite poet, Waris Shah. The father set a path for him then and there, to search for beauty, light and romance. The 'arts' are available to one and all, rich, poor, middle class, the 1 per cent and the 99 per cent. As a viewer there is so much to see and do; galleries are free, museums have suggested donations, summertime concerts are free in the parks, and there's art on the streets.
The project with the Venice Gritti Palace where past guests have included Ernest Hemingway and Somerset Maugham has been in the works for over three years now. It started with a conversation with the team at Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts and the GM of the Gritti Palace in Venice. The idea came to him the moment they said it was undergoing a major restoration. The Gritti is a place that he has known well and has been his favourite hotel for years. It is a magical place. It's a storied place, steeped in history and lore. RARE makes the space come alive. It engages its guests and visitors to expect and demand not just a more thoughtful way of spending but of life.
Public artifacts in RARE
Carey Lowell’s hand-made bowls One should have a look at the gazing bowls created by artist Carey Lowell, each one is done by hand by a multi-faceted artist. She is also an actress, most interestingly, a former Bond girl. The hand-forged bronze bowls from Alma Allen are based in Joshua Tree, California, and were featured in this year's Whitney Biennial. Not too far from the insanity of New York lives and works Tim Rowan with an epic walk-in kiln creating works of art he shows in Japan and France among other places. We carry his black and beautiful tea bowls and sake cups.
Events attended in 2014
The most interesting art event he attended in 2014 was the annual gala for Creative Time, honouring the artist Kara Walker. It was held in the former, now gone, Domino Sugar Factory, a doomed space come to life with Kara Walker's installation. Creative Time is a non-profit arts organisation dedicated to commissioning and presenting innovative and socially engaged art works in the public realm. Waris works with them as an ambassador. Miami Art Basel was fun of course. The highlight was getting tucked into Marina Abramovic's performance installation by Marina herself. Who can ask for anything more? It seems all the best parties were in Brooklyn though. During early 2014, he was invited to speak on a panel at the International Arts & Culture Festival in Istanbul. It's a three day arts and culture gathering bringing together thought leaders from around the world.
Top five favourite spots for art vacations
When he takes a holiday it's usually to get away from it all, including art. However, there are some cities with great art. The first one that comes to his mind is Paris. He prefers starting with the museums in the morning and the galleries after lunch. Venice has much to see and do. Choose from the Prada Foundation, Palazzo Fortuny, Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Palazzo Grassi. In New York he would recommend Guggenheim, galleries in Chelsea, The Morgan Library, Neue Gallerie. In Rome, he prefers going to the Borghese Gallery and surround yourself with Berninis.
Prime sources of inspiration
The inspiration for his work has always been love and history. How this manifests into work is the exciting part. Thoughts and feelings translated into the tangible sometimes gold, diamonds, sometimes cashmere, sometimes film.
Famous names don’t find their way into his personal art collection. It's more about the beauty that the work brings. The most important thing is the visceral reaction and connection he may feel with the work.
It's more fun when one gets to participate and be a part of the work. Recently he went over to the studio of the famed Brazilian artist, Vic Muniz, to be photographed for one of his projects. It was amazing to see his process and be a part of his creation.
Personal philosophy
He tries to live my life according to the values his parents taught his. One should stay true to oneself and the beliefs and demonstrate thoughtfulness in his actions. It's a simple concept but it's all about the execution. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said it best: "Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least."
Favourite museums and galleries
Palazzo Fortuny, Venice
If in Venice, one must pay a visit to this palazzo. They collaborated with Fortuny and the artist Ann Wood to make handmade owls for House of Waris RARE, a collection of objects celebrating modern day craftsmanship.
Musee Gustave Mureau, Paris
One of his favorite artists and here one can see his vast body of work.
John Soame Museum, London
This one is off-the-beaten track, a home filled with antiquities, paintings, architectural oddities.
Musee Maillol, Paris
They had an incredible exhibition of the photographer Weegee a few years ago, according to Waris Alhuwalia.
