A Psychology graduate, Natasha Kohli found her true calling not in studying the mechanisms of human or animal behaviour, but in the creative freedom afforded by design. The founder of the globally acclaimed craft studio Filo, Natasha tells us that she was always interested in design. But as a student chafing against the “restrictive nature” of formal higher education, she discovered just how “liberating” and “free-spirited” the world of design could be.
To supplement her passion for design with the requisite expertise, Natasha studied carpentry, apprenticed with studio workshops in Europe. She extensively studied iconic periods like Beidermeier, Bauhaus, various other classic schools of thoughts and even Shaker furniture from the US. Today, her work at Filo is guided by a strong desire to be more than a furniture designer or woodworker.
“While I was always fascinated by design, furniture design (in particular) came to me at a much later stage,” says Natasha, recounting her journey. “It a gradual progression as (my initial work) in interior design eventually led to discovering a passion for furniture design. For me, design is a private world of thought processes with complete freedom of expression. It’s limitless.”
It is this ability to design without boundaries that reflects in Natasha’s work at Filo as well. Talking about how she moved from studying established styles/paradigms in furniture design to finding her own ‘voice’, Natasha says, “One thread that ran through most of the periods (I studied) was that function dictated form. Furniture design was predominantly a ‘functional art form’. I found that very restrictive. Ergonomics notwithstanding, Filo had to be a trailblazer. What was definitive in our design sensibilities was the constant effort to keep it tight, sharp, focused, simple, serene yet bold, marry form and function seamlessly, construct keeping ‘lineage’ in mind, and finally, ensure discipline and aspiration were in harmony for the patron.”
Apart from forging her studio’s design identity, Natasha also spent several years creating reproductions inspired by Jacobean and other schools of furniture making. “Our language was furniture. We needed to communicate eloquently in that language. Creating reproductions was like learning the alphabet — which was an essential first step — and constant practise made our attempts to find perfection in the reproductions fundamental to our next giant leap… furniture as an art form! Historical furniture and its study did not necessarily determine the design for us. Learning from the Masters is a lifelong exercise,” Natasha explains.
It’s not only the design masters that Natasha has learnt from. Inspirations from art — and the work of eminent artists like S.H. Raza — have also found their way into her designs. “Raza’s work is breathtaking… It’s trance-like and silent in its divinity,” Natasha says. Architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Carlo Scarpa, Mongiardino, Mario Botta, Toyo Ito are some of her other inspirations. “Carlo Scarpa’s Castelvecchio’s lone horseman on a cantilevered balcony is remarkable and has inspired our wall panel with a two dimensional cabinet,” she says.
At Filo, Natasha works closely with her craftsmen-designers. In a recent interview, she was quoted as saying, “Design is not the monopoly of the educated. You do not need a design institute, or have to speak English or belong to a certain class to be able to design”. Elaborating her views, Natasha says, “As a custodian, I can only moderate the initiation of a design process. Then the design process is almost catalytic in nature. Materials, sections, joineries, books, sketches, and much more surround us, as craftsmen from Bulandshahr, Ferozabad, Rajasthan, and other places pore over all of it. And then the passion and fervour takes over… It is magnificent, surreal. Challenging the boundaries imposed on the art of woodworking and the studio crafts is exhilarating.”
