Inspired to work with craftsmen whose skills he felt were largely untapped, Aram set up a home in New Delhi (in an apartment building by Sir Edwin Lutyens) and a workshop nearby. Bridging the gap between the artist and artisan is a hallmark of Aram’s sand-cast and hand-forged works, which ranges from bowls to martini shakers to photo frames to tables and lamps. Each piece in his collection is handmade, with no two examples ever exactly the same. The objects—a mélange of high and decorative arts, quality and originality, aesthetics and functionality—fit comfortably in both contemporary and more classical interiors. VandM talked with Aram just as he was preparing for a series of public appearances (check his website for locations, dates and times).
Michael Aram
www.michaelaram.com
136 West 18 Street
New York, NY
CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT:
My six-month-old twins, Anabel and Thadeus.
WHAT’S INSPIRING YOU RIGHT NOW?
Watercolor botanicals.
ALL-TIME FAVORITE ARTIST?
Alexander Calder. Not as much for his art (which I do love), but for breaking through the accepted boundaries of what artists traditionally created.
WHO ARE YOUR HEROES?
Anjali Gopalan (founder of Naz India, which has led the fight against HIV/AIDS), Larry Kramer (playwright and LGBT activist), and anyone who dedicates his life to helping the disenfranchised.
WHAT DO YOU COLLECT?
Natural objects like shells and rocks. Most recently a stalagmite.
LAST GREAT BOOK YOU READ:
Aravind Adiga’s Last Man in Tower.
NECESSARY EXTRAVAGANCE:
Art! Most recently a painting by my friend Martin Kline.
WHAT’S ON YOUR DESK?
Fresca, Virginia Metalcrafter’s leaf dish, art catalogs, an antique Limoges cache-pot filled with pens, an Italian tole lamp from the 1950s.
COLOR PALETTE YOU LOVE AT THIS MOMENT:
The ultimate non-colors: black and white, and any combination of the two; browns, beiges and shades of yellow and orange.
SECRET INDULGENCES?
Chocolate-covered ginger from the Li-Lac chocolate store near my house in the West Village.
EUREKA MOMENT:
Understanding that you can’t live your life according to what other people think.
BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?
Being in my workshop in India.
WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU COME HOME?
Take my shoes off and kiss my three angels.
FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY:
Breakfast.
WHAT’S ON YOUR WISH LIST?
Living on the water.
ENTERTAINING SECRET:
Ample stock of stuff in the freezer from the Middle Eastern market.
GO-TO ACCESSORY?
iPhone, of course.
SUPERHERO POWER YOU WISH YOU POSSESSED?
Bend steel with my bare hands! Would certainly make my work easier….
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$1,295 -
$6,500 -
contact dealer -
$2,450 -
$2,900
