Making art out of metals

Alex Davis wearing multiple hats. He is an artist, sculptor, product designer, engineer and also a visiting facility at India’s top design schools.  While he is famous for his exquisite wood and metal installations in India, he has also exhibited in some of the top international design fairs such as Scenes d’interieur at Maison et Objet, Paris, Salone del Mobile Milano and Abitare il Tempo, Verona. Alex is among the few pioneers, who introduced the concept of design art to India and continues to create avant-garde works for his audience.

His tryst with sculptures began in 2004 when he designed a range of sculptural products using river pebbles and stainless steel. The collection was called 'I went Fishing’ and was followed by his shows titled 'My Lazy Garden', 'Moonlit Safari', ‘Dented Painted’ and ‘Hyper Blooms’. He recently created a massive handcrafted sculpture for the Architecture and Design show in Mumbai called 'Bombay' using 304 stainless steel dipped in gold as an ode to the city of Mumbai. He was also commissioned to create a wall piece for the Laura Hamilton apartment called ‘the Magnolia’, a wall sculpture in tinted stainless steel. Speaking about his recent artworks, Alex says, “Earlier this year, I created a sculptural piece called the ‘Tropical Treillage’ for an art event held in Bikaner House in March 2018. This piece is like a slice from a dense forest that is full of leaves, ferns, and flowers. While in October my sculpture 'Bombay' showcased my idea of Mumbai -- defined by the romance between the scaffolding and the buildings that they wrap themselves around. I depicted high-rise buildings coming up everywhere or old ones getting repaired or painted to showcase the changing urban landscape. From the top view of this sculpture, one could see the golden spiral bringing a perfect geometry into a seemingly raw installation.”

As a signature style, Alex loves to use mixed metal blends in his artworks and expresses his ideas with a variety of materials. His engineering and industrial design backgrounds help him immensely to work with different metals. Speaking about his artistic journey with sculptures, he says, “When I started working on my collections, I wanted to convert something as industrial as stainless steel sheets and pipes into works of art. I have always had a creative side and I grew up watching my father sculpt pieces of wood, to de-stress from his working life as a paediatrician. As a child of the 80s, I became a mechanical engineer and then I decided to study product design from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. I felt the need to learn from the masters of design and architecture and got admission at the prestigious Domus Academy, Milano. Here, I studied art under very well known architects and designers. After completing my studies I worked for Alessi, in the studio of Stefano Giovannoni. I have not had any mentors as such, but what has come closest to being one is my son, Agastya. His way of looking at my work and his critique of it has always been very insightful. As for artists, I am often inspired by the works of Richard Sierra & David Nash.”

Last year, Alex did his very first exhibition of canvasses called Herbarium Indicum, which was inspired by botanical flower illustrations. Moving from sculptures to the canvas, he says, “I toyed with the idea of working on canvasses for a while. I started to teach myself, oils and last year I completed my first art series - 'Herbarium Indicum'. To me, art has always been rooted in the unique expression of the individual. It is that which lies deep within that should take shape in what the artist is trying to express. Once an individual loses touch with that very unique expression in order to appease the masses, then that innate purity in their work is lost.”

After designing sculptures and creating art on canvas, Alex’s next venture is in décor where he plans to make a range of arty furniture and help local artisans by providing them with work opportunities. He mentions, “In the initial years, I wanted to bring contemporary furniture into the market. Back in 1998, there were few people doing simple and modern furniture in India. Through my own brand Indi store, I was able to experiment with materials and sell the pieces through it. Over the years, I have worked with both new and old materials, bringing a sculptural element into every product that I create. As an artist, it helps me expand my ideas into real products. I call all my products, be it furniture, lights or accents as 'jewellery for living spaces'. One should feel that their space has something beautiful and alive in it. Since the pieces are handcrafted meticulously, it becomes that much more special. My focus has been keeping all the artisans who work with me happy and healthy. In my opinion, the biggest charity is in empowering people through work.