æquō is the brainchild of founder Tarini Jindal Handa and creative director Florence Louisy, who met in Paris in 2019 and discussed the lack of spaces dedicated to collectible design in India. At its core, the gallery aims to connect global creatives with the country's craft heritage to develop new perspectives and unique design languages.
The word æquō is derived from equal in Latin, and the masterpieces created in partnership with the gallery give weight to both designer and technique. Identifying and celebrating the best Indian craftsmanship, who might previously have been unknown, is a key ambition of the programme. In this grand design adventure, æquo creates contemporary objects that pay respect to tradition – the antiques of the future.
PHILOSOPHY AND PROCESS: A space where three forces meet with equal intrigue: makers, designers and materials.
æquō‘s mission is to reshape the relationship between them, to reveal their value and potential. By inviting global minds to work locally, we adopt and create new lenses and unique languages to revisit Indian craft heritage through contemporary design pieces. International designers encounter India’s diverse and profound techniques through æquō’s extensive network of artisans. Thesemakers, who work with an astonishing sensibility toward our country’s varied raw materials, are placed in dialogue with designers to explore what happens when the familiar seeks the unknown. Each of them carries a story rooted in India, yearning to be told to the world at large.
Tarini Jindal Handa is the founder of æquō. Coming from a lineage of entrepreneurs and patrons of the arts, she aims to breathe new life into her country’s craftsmanship. In this, she follows in the footsteps of her grandmother, who created the Kanoria Centre of Arts, the first artist’s residency in India, and her mother, the founder of Art Magazine of India. Her studies in fashion marketing at the American University of London led Tarini Jindal Handa to open India’s first multi-brand fashion store, Muse. However, her interest in cultural preservation, craftsmanship, and innovative design led her to change direction. Through æquō, Tarini Jindal Handa aims to promote economic and social development for artisans in India. Alongside her involvement in the creative platform æquō, she leads real estate projects through her JSW Realty venture.
