Having a background in Mechanical Engineering has perhaps given me an advantage, when it comes to working with materials like stainless steel. There is no fixed set of techniques that I employ — it varies from project to project. He recalls, “As a child I used to create, break, mould, bend and rebuild a lot of stuff. Even though his work reflects his commitment to impeccable craftsmanship and irreverent luxury, Alex sees to it that his work appears natural and makes one think about stainless steel in an entirely new way. “I like to call my creations design-art collections,” shares Alex, who wants to showcase a poetic nature of the element. I think they had always had a clue that I’ll get into the creative field since they had always Gas cap. date seal series manufacturers watched me create stuff.
So when after my engineering, I told my parents that I wanted to pursue a career in the product-designing field, they weren’t surprised at all.”Champa treeAlex’s glossy sculptures and installations also include metals like copper and brass.”Bamboo groveRight from his mechanical engineering days, it was clear that he would veer his interests towards product designing.RoseAlex has majored in Industrial Design from Domus Academy, Milan where he worked with international master designers like Andrea Branzi, Massimo Morozzi and Mario Trimarchi among others. For Alex Davis, working with steel continues to be fascinating. “I love working with different kinds of metals. I spent lots of time in the forests and on the beaches, so the influence of nature is immense. Think nature-driven forms like creepers, huge yet delicate leaves of water lilies, roses, a bamboo grove, knobbly yet slender branches of a small champa tree. Most of my collections are nature-driven because I grew up in the lap of nature back home in Kerala.
STOP sign from Alex’s Dented and Painted collectionWhile stainless steel is known for its shiny, sturdy quality, Alex Davis makes the metal appear softer.
“I also wanted to break down the stereotype of stainless steel as a sharp, almost surgical element and show its soft, delicate and poetic side. It is creatively satisfying when I let the metal take its own course.”MarigoldThe designer takes anytime between six months to two years to complete a project.” In case of a few, specific projects, he also uses computer generated three-dimensional modelling to understand the final product.The designer is known for creating home décor products, furniture and installation, with a fusion of traditional forms with modern design. “However, most often my techniques involve hand-bending the metal and laser cutting. | DIPTI Published: Dec 18, 2016, 12:08 am IST Updated: Dec 18, 2016, 4:10 am IST Product designer Alex Davis uses stainless steel to create contemporary pieces of modern design. He says, “Occasionally, I may model or test materials like copper, brass, even foam, paper or thinner sheets of metal to see the outcome.“Steel is challenging to work with but that’s why I chose it as a medium for my work,” he explains.”