Bringing the soul of Banaras alive in metal, Tilfi unveiled its first-ever showcase of metal art and furniture design at Design Democracy, Hyderabad, from September 5-7, 2025. Rooted in an ancient metal craft tradition and shaped by the textile heritage of its provenance, the presentation introduced an exquisite spectrum of brass creations. Wall panels, sculpture designs, furniture and functional art pieces, each echoing the house’s enduring connection to handloom and design.
Tilfi extended repoussé metalwork into a contemporary realm, expanding its design language while staying grounded in its ancestral roots. Predating even the celebrated looms of Banaras, repoussé metalwork once adorned temples, ritual artefacts, and objects of devotion. For Design Democracy, the display revealed singular pieces that reimagined the possibilities of metal – a look into what contemporary Indian design can become.
Motifs that have long graced Banarasi textiles found new expression in sculpted surfaces at the design event. Through the meticulous demands of repoussé, metal was coaxed into ripple and fold, capturing the drape-like fluidity of fabric. Designs rooted in mythology, architecture, and cultural symbolism took on renewed life: the Gilded Drape console transformed metal into flowing form; the Kashi Panel evoked the spiritual gravity of the ghats; wall artworks inspired by Rangkaat, Koniya and other signatures. Creations such as Charan and Meghdoot carried literary and mythic resonance, whileDevangana and the Shikargah-inspired pieces united aesthetic presence with functional intent.
Honouring the legacy of Banaras’s historic ateliers, the curation revisited an age-old design vocabulary through a refined and contemporary lens. Presenting metal at Design Democracy affirmed its enduring place within India’s craft heritage, demonstrating how form, texture and symbolism can transcend medium. The showcase invited viewers to encounter Banarasi heritage not only through weave, but as an expansive memory, rendered in metal.
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