Syzygy

Syzygy pieces begin with an idea — and then, a sketch. The battle, says designer Ankit Kumar, is for the brand’s team of ceramicists in New Delhi to produce a real-world piece that comes as close as possible to achieving that original vision. “Usually, we’ll go through multiple iterations in the form, with a constant back and forth between the factory and design studio, to make the design practical and functional,” Kumar says. “In the case of Novah Pitchers, the final product is what was imagined in sketches — we were delighted.” That success is perhaps doubly noteworthy because of the challenge of working across design traditions — with the Novah pieces, the goal was “to forge a connection between Bauhaus ideology to Indian crafts,” Kumar says. “We challenged traditional craftsmen to develop a form that was completely unique and unfamiliar to their usual approach.”