Renowned architect and artist Suchi Reddy and historic Indian brand Asian Paints recently presented Chromacosm, the largest and most comprehensive architectural color system with over 5,300 unique shades. Reddy brought her imaginative eye and sense of style to the Asian Paints installation during the Architecture and Design Film Festival in Mumbai, India, creating a sense of smallness among meadows of gradients. Like a creature among grass, the viewer walks among tall stalks of colored cylinders, all adorned with a myriad of color. Inspired by ancient Tantric paintings and the science of light and absorption, Reddy imagines each hue in three dimensions, gently yet definitively held under the forces of light, shadow, and space.
Immersive, tall, and mysterious, the exhibit, which incorporates over 2,000 shades from the Chromacosm library, takes the viewer on a journey through gradients and color combinations of all types, hiding certain values from certain angles while openly revealing others. The multitude of the black tubes are pleasing to the eye, with white bands delineating an optical illusion of planes rising above the earth. Regular and expansive, these bands carry a cohesion throughout the exhibition, instilling a sense of normalcy among the explosion of color.
The tops of the tubes are adorned with a multitude of shades, compiled from different aspects of Indian culture. “It’s only fitting that the world’s largest color library comes from India,” says Reddy. “This project celebrates our heritage while setting new benchmarks for creativity and innovation in design.” Asian Paints spent over a decade compiling colors from India’s rich traditions, technological innovation blending seamlessly with historical context. The Chromacosm library organizes the 5,300 shades by hue and depth, allowing extensive exploration of color families and combinations. Taking inspiration from ancient traditions like Ajrakh and Kalamkari, the collection blends centuries of artisanal experience with scientific advancements in color.
Suchi Reddy, a renowned New York City-based designer, artist, and architect, has a strong sense of space delineation and color that is highly apparent here. Founder of Reddymade, a studio that revolves around their core belief that form follows feeling, she spans the width of design from public art to large-scale commercial spaces. Neuroaesthetics, the belief that good design promotes well-being, is crucial to understanding the influences in her work. Receiving numerous accolades, she uses cutting-edge materials to create a world where architecture puts people first.
Suchi Reddy
For more information on Chromacosm, please visit reddymade.design.
Photography courtesy of Reddymade and Asian Paints.
