He joined his family business of carpets while he was in school and this is how his affair with the art forms of paintings, textiles and floral decor began. With an illustrious career spanning over 37 years, Deepak Badhwar today is a well known name in the world of floral and event decor.
In an exclusive conversation with EE,
Deepak Badhwar talks about
creatively using floral decor into the main stream events business today.
Q-How do you feel the traditional art forms are going to fit in the main events genre today which is so flamboyant?
A-Today there are leading designers who have got into wedding and big events and over here the structure is the flashier the better. For a special wedding or an event or something where there is going to be let's say a very high profile conference where there is no food going to be served on the tables, one can spread long shawls over. Like they were done in the European master paintings of Renrock and all depicting shawls on top of tables as an accessory and that changes the whole look of the event from a drab conference to something very interesting.
One can also have real handmade carpets spread on the floor. So if somebody acquires some event company and invests in them and then they can use it imaginatively in many events. Today fabrics are used to enhance the space at events, but in my opinion they can hang shawls, they can hang textiles, they can hang phulkari and the whole look changes.
Similarly can you imagine classical miniature paintings in a conference hall? It is suddenly a very high class event. It completely elevates it to another level. Here there are CEOs sitting and then one of the walls has a classical miniature painting. What a beautiful amalgamation.
Q-One of the trends currently in the events domain is that the organizers want everything but at a cheaper cost. Are these traditional art forms really affordable for them?
A-Yes, they are affordable for what the worth is. However, the event company or the production house has to see how many events we can cover using the same product. Like if it is going to be reception and the person has invested in drapes and shawls then in a conference we can use them as table covers. These are of multiple uses of course miniature paintings will only come on the walls, you can't put them on the table or on the floor. But carpets you can put on the floor, you can hang them; you can in some cases if they are very fine ones even put them on the tables.
Q-Let's talk about floral arrangements now. In your opinion how are floral arrangements enhancing the beauty of events today?
A-Any room, any event, any space can be beautified with flowers. Whether it is the humble Marigold or it is imported Hydrangeas or Orchids. Today even in government functions you will notice that in front of the dais there are anthuriums and all sorts of fancy flowers being put in Oasis and covering it. Could you have imagined this happening 5 years ago? No, 5 years back maximum they would put Marigolds. Today there are all sorts of flowers from all over the world and one can play with them.
Q- So how has the art of floral decor transformed today?
A-Well traditionally in any Hindu religious function in India, rangolis have always been made either with colours or with flowers. And if you delve into Indian traditions, the path entrance has always been lined by floral decorations. In weddings, often the dulha dulhan have walked on rose petals. In Kashmir it is mandatory for the bridegroom to come walking on rose petals. So it has been a part of Indian tradition. We have just taken it to another level by marrying European traditions with Indian traditions.
In Europe, see any of the masters, any of the old paintings, there were always large floral arrangements even in the Victorian times they were used either on the side tables or on the centre tables or decorating niches. Now with an event, we can use flowers to enhance them as flowers are available from all over the world now depending on the budget. Also today we have this wonder material called Oasis where we don't need to put the flower into water exactly, just stick it into the Oasis and you can make frames, you can make spheres, everything is done.
Q-What are the three unconventional ways that event organisers can use flowers at events?
A- Well for starters, Instead of having a central table setting, one can have small sprays, or some medium orchids or corsages set on each plate before the service begins. That will be absolutely unique because when the guests take their seats for a sit down dinner instead of just having napkins on the plate, there is a beautiful Orchid Corsage.
Secondly there are many edible flowers which can be used in salads. One can decorate salads with edible flowers and through this the salad takes on a new meaning. Just imagine being served a salad with a beautiful orange flower on it with the best part of it being that you can actually eat it.
The third use of flowers can be lining the complete pathway in a traditional wedding fashion of having flowers strewn so that the guests have to walk between the flowers. One need not trample along the path, but just imagine all along the sides there is a low arrangement of six inches of exotic flowers just taking your whole path giving it a new meaning. That would be divine.
Q- Where do you see the art of floral arrangements and other traditional art forms going five years down the line?
A-I think that there is going to be a massive revival. There is going to be a fantastic awareness as these art forms are slowly dying. And finally for flowers as the world gets smaller, more and more flowers will be accessible to us from different locations as it is people have started using berries, leaves, plants besides flowers.
