Hyderabad-based architect and designer Sona Reddy presents Rooted at 47-A, Mumbai, a solo exhibition that brings together furniture, textiles and objects inspired by the forms, colours and rhythms of nature. On view from July 24 to August 16, the exhibition reflects her layered, sculptural approach to architecture, interiors and collectible design, and unfolds as a thoughtful meditation on craft, material and memory.
At the heart of Rooted is an idea of making that evolves slowly, through observation, collaboration and the accumulated knowledge of many hands. Rather than arriving as finished statements, the works begin with fragments — an illustrated botany book, the rhythm of Madras checks, the visual language of everyday life — and are gradually translated into contemporary objects. The result is a collection that feels both intimate and resolved, shaped by the patience of handcraft and the precision of design.
Reddy’s practice has long been defined by sensitivity to form, material and light, and Rooted extends that vocabulary into a more tactile register. The exhibition highlights how ideas move across disciplines and craft traditions, shifting through workshops and material processes while remaining true to an original impulse. In this sense, the show is less about decoration than transformation: nature becomes structure, memory becomes object, and inherited techniques find new life in contemporary design.
Among the standout works is the Rosa Collection, which captures the fleeting beauty of a blooming flower in Jaisalmer stone, custom ceramic roses and delicate glass inlays. Rather than imitating a flower literally, the collection holds on to its presence, turning botanical form into a durable companion for everyday spaces.
The Floral Tapestry series takes this translation further, moving from painted canvas into textile through intricate silk-thread embroidery on organza. Here, brushstroke becomes thread, and the fluidity of painting is reimagined through the discipline of textile craft. The work highlights the labour of interpretation, showing how a visual idea can be reshaped without losing its spontaneity.
The Pink Rose Collection gives a similar logic of transformation a more material permanence, using Indian Pink marble, ceramic roses and glass inlays to hold the memory of a bloom that exists only briefly in nature. Also on view are handcrafted frames inspired by Channapatna woodcraft, housing botanical illustrations from 1834 and linking heritage floral studies to collectible design. Together, these works position Rooted as a quiet but resonant celebration of Indian making, where craft traditions, natural forms and contemporary design meet.
The exhibition is especially well suited to readers interested in architecture, interiors, design and craft, but it also has broader appeal for anyone drawn to the relationship between nature and object-making. Set within 47-A, a restored 19th-century Portuguese-style house in Khotachiwadi, the show gains an added layer of atmosphere from its location in one of Mumbai’s most historic neighbourhoods.
Sona Reddy’s Rooted*
Venue: 47-A, Khotachiwadi, Ambewadi, Girgaon, Mumbai
Dates: July 24 to August 16
Timings: 11:00 am to 7:00 pm, except Mondays
Pari tiwari is a third year english literature student at Delhi University. She is interested in art, Feminism, politics of representation, literature, philosophy, film, and photography.
