Satyendra Pakhalé (also known as Satyen Pakhalé; born 1967)^[1] is an international polymath designer,^[2] architect and artist.^[3][4]

He studied Design at the IDC School of Design, IIT-B Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Mumbai, India, and Advanced Design at the ArtCenter College of Design (Europe), La Tour-de-Pliez, Switzerland.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}

In the mid 1990s, he became part of the "New Business Creation" team at Philips Design, conceiving some of the first product ideas for new technologies in the area of digital communication, healthcare and mobility.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}

In 1998, he established his ongoing practice "Satyendra Pakhalé Associates" in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}

Pakhalé has lectured at universities and publicly presented his research and work at conferences like CeBIT, Design Indaba, Human Cities and Future Design Days.^{[4][13][14][15][16][17]}

He served as the founding Dean of the Master of Design for ‘Humanity and Sustainable Living’ – now called ‘Social Design’ program – at the Design Academy Eindhoven from 2006 to 2010.^{[4][13][14][15]}

He was selected as one of L'Uomo Vogue magazine's 80 most influential creative people with a worldwide vision in art, design and architecture.^{[1][3][6][18][2]}

In 2014, Pakhalé was selected as one of ten Must-See Artists-Designers at Miami Art Week 2014 for the "Design at Fairchild" exhibition at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, Florida, USA.^{[19][20][21][22][23][24]}

His works are housed in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.^[25][26]

Senior Curator of Architecture and Design and founding Director of Research and Development at MoMA Paola Antonelli stated:

"No matter how abstract the form, it shows that Satyendra Pakhalé […] is a champion of a new chapter in the history of design."^[27]

His philosophy as a "Cultural Nomad" encapsulates his approach to his work. Satyendra seeks to find a universal poetry that connects people from all corners of the globe, a human warmth that transcends specific traditions or fixed notions. He cherishes and cultivates freedom, both in his way of living and creating. His dexterity is showcased through diverse natural materials, techniques, and craftsmanship, allowing him to create unique and meaningful objects.^[4]

Satyendra Pakhalé has been involved in the realms of design, art, and architecture. His approach to design transcends conventional boundaries, seamlessly blending elements that often appear as opposites – be it high and low tech, industrial production and traditional crafts, or the balance between functionality and poetic expression.^[25][26]

"Satyendra Pakhalé is a poet of form and materials. Experiencing his work is a joy." - founder and art director of the eponymous Italian furniture company Cappellini, Giulio Cappelini^[27]

One of his solo design exhibitions 'From Projects to Products' of his body of works took place in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and another at Otto Gallery Bologna, Italy, curated by Paola Antonelli, curator of Museum of Modern Art,^[28] New York and at Gallery Ammann, Cologne, Germany.^[10]

"The refreshing difference to be found in Satyendra Pakhalé's designs lies indeed in the form he chooses, for his way of creating is not merely subjective, rather it is the sublimation of cultures in which he belongs. The resulting design language is beautiful to look at, stimulating and easy to interpret. In this way he gives to us a new identity, that belonging to all the people of the world." - Project Leader and R&D Director, Alceo Serafini^[29]

Notable architectural design works

• Lab of the Future, Virchow 16, Novartis Campus, Basel, Switzerland^[30][31]
• Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Centre for Social Justice, New Delhi, India^[32]
• Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Memorial, New Delhi, India^[33]

"Satyendra Pakhalé's designs suggest a haptic skin-relationship through their sensorial forms, poetic associations and tactile surfaces; they invite the user and stimulate sensations of intimacy and nearness. The shapes present invitations to our body sense, rather than merely displaying retinal images." - Finnish architect and former professor of architecture and dean at the Helsinki University of Technology, Juhani Pallasmaa^[27]

Notable industrial design works:

• Add-On Radiator^[34][27]
• TBI D02-3000 Implant System^[35][36]
• MeWa System^[37][27]
• Fish Chair^[38][27][39]
• Akasma Centrepiece set^[40][27]
• Kalpa^[41][27]

"One of the design icons of the third millennium, imagined by one of the few authors capable of truly speaking another language. He is determined to combine the never placated ideal of reaching big numbers, through true industrial production in order to improve people's lives with a healthy drive towards the expressive pleasure of making a mark on one's time with objects and gestures that are far from silent, never banal and always original in terms of form." - Architect and Professor at Politecnico di Milano Beppe Finessi on the Fish Chair^[27][39]

• B.M. Objects, Third Generation^[42][27]
• B.M. Horse^[43][27]
• Black and White Swan^[44][45][27]
• Panther^[46][27]
• KUBU^[47][27]
• Flower Offering Chair^[48][27]

"Satyendra Pakhalé […] designs pieces for series production for the likes of Magis, Cor Unum and Cappellini, but also conducts his own experiments with materials and processes that can result in works like his B.M. Horse [which] he calls ‘studio projects’, and they can involve many years of research. B.M. Horse took some seven years to perfect, and involved numerous scale models and 3D CAD designs." - writer, editor and educator in the fields of architecture, design and food thinking, Sophie Lovell.^[49]

Notable exhibition design works

• "In Progress: design looks to the future", 2010, CID Grand-Hornu, Boussu, Belgium^[50]
• "Bombay Maximum City"[1], 2006, Lille3000, Lille, France^[51][52][53]
• "We can't afford to buy CHEAP things. Personal Shopper", 2007, Messe Frankfurt, Ambiente Frankfurt Fair, Germany^[54]
• "Future is Now, Centenary installation", 2012, Franke, Milano Design Week, Milan, Italy^[55]

Design Curator at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam Ingeborg de Roode states: "[...] he has created a remarkably broad oeuvre. It ranges from architectural design, interiors, exhibition concepts and furniture to toys – and from industrially manufactured pieces designed for the world's leading companies to one-offs and edition pieces for galleries. […] I detect great perseverance in his working method. Starting with research, it leads to sketches in pencil or watercolour, and then making models […] He can work for years on the development of a specific design before he is really happy with the result. […] All these qualities – his cultural sensibilities, perseverance, thorough research, technical insight, a great feeling for the symbolism of forms [lead to his] personal language."^[27]

'Culture of Creation' is an active studio practice related to an ongoing theoretical applied research platform cofounded by Satyendra Pakhalé and Architect Dr. Tiziana Proietti in 2013.^[27][56]

The notion of a 'culture of creation' refers simply to the ancient and innate impulse behind human making. It engages with the very roots of the human need to create, to design, to make, to build and bring something into reality.^[27][56] Pakhalé has cultivated a design practice that focuses on the 'Culture of Creation', from mass-produced industrial products to experimental one-offs, art, and architecture;^[27][57] always with the aim of returning to objects and their environment the sensorial qualities that have so often been lost due to the excesses of industrialization and consumerism.^[27]

In particular, it cultivates a broader historicity that can be described as a deep awareness of the human condition, informed by a secular humanistic and decolonial perspective. This perspective aligns with a universal, critical view of history that transcends regional or disciplinary boundaries, seeking to inform contemporary thought and practice. As such, Pakhalé highlights a renewed vision of 'social modernity' which is deeply rooted in his lived experiences and a nuanced awareness of history that emphasizes inclusivity across all sections of society. While early modernist discourses acknowledged social democracy, a true inclusive 'social' perspective, was rarely addressed. Pakhalé's approach seeks to broaden this framework fostering a more holistic understanding of what he calls 'social cohesion in a built environment'.^{[27][57][6][56]}

The core of this research has been published in the book 'Satyendra Pakhalé Culture of Creation', nai010 Publishers, Netherlands Architecture Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.^[56][27][6]

• Distinguished Alumnus Award from the IDC School of Design, India (2020)^{[10][58][6][59]}
• Red Dot Design Award from Red Dot GmbH & Co. KG, Essen, Germany (2016)^{[10][18][60][61][59]}
• Green Good Design Award from the European Centre for Architecture Art Design Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, USA (2016)^{[10][62][61][59]}
• Distinguished Alumnus Award IIT Bombay from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India (2013)^{[10][18][63][64][61][59]}
• Bharat Samman Award from the NRI Institute, London, UK (2013)^{[10][18][64][61][59]}
• NRI Institute Award from the NRI Institute, London, UK (2012)^{[10][18][64][61][59]}
• Red Dot Design Award from Red Dot GmbH & Co. KG, Essen, Germany (2008)^{[10][18][63][65][66][67][61]}
• International Design Award from LA Interiors, Los Angeles, USA (2007)^{[10][18][61][59]}
• Editor's Choice Award at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), New York, USA (2003)^[63][61][59]
• National Design Grant from the Foundation for Fine Art, Architecture and Design, Netherlands (2002)^[10][61]
• International Design Distinction Award from International Design Magazine, New York, USA (1998)^[10][61][59]
• Design Distinction in 'New Notable Product Design II', USA (1995)^[10][68][61]
• Goldstar Design Award from Goldstar Co., Seoul, Korea (1993)^[10][61][59]
• Janus de l'Étudiant at the International Young Industrial Design Talent Promotion Award, French Institute of Design, Paris, France (1991)^[61][59]

Pakhalé has work in the following permanent public collections:

• Victoria and Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom
  • BM Horse Stool, 2008^[69]
• Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou, Paris, France
  • Radiateur Add-On, 2003^{[70][71][72][73]}
  • Siège Multichair Panther, 2003^[74]
• Stedelijk Museum, The Museum of Modern Art Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Magis Desk Mat (prototype), 2000^[75]
  • Akasma 1, 2002^[76]
  • Akasma 2, 2002^[77]
  • Akasma 3, 2002^[78]
  • Bird Chaise Longue, 2002^[79]
  • Kalpa, 2002^[80][81][82][2]
  • Lagori Post-Computer Game (prototype), 2002^[83]
  • Satyendra Pakhalé cultural nomad. From Projects to Products / Dal progetto al prodotto (book), 2002^[84]
  • Satyendra Pakhalé from project to products (poster), 2002^[85]
• M+, Museum of Visual Culture, Hong Kong, China
  • RCCC/Roll Carbon Ceramic Chair, 2008^[86][87]
• MAKK, Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Cologne, Germany
  • B. M. Horse, 2007^[88][89]
• Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, The Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection, Montreal, Canada
  • Akasma Baskets, 2002^[90]
  • Add-On Radiator, 2004^[91][73]
  • Vase and Fruit Basket, B.M. (Bell Metal), 2001^[92]
• Die Neue Sammlung, The International Design Museum, Munich, Germany
  • Stuhl Flower Offering Chair, 2006^[93][94]
• F.N.A.C., Fonds National d'Art Contemporain, Collection du Centre national des arts plastiques, Paris, France
  • Corbeille Akasma 1, 2002^[95]
  • Plateu Akasma 2, 2002^[96]
  • Plateu Akasma 3, 2002^[97]
• Museum het Kruithuis, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
  • Clay & beyond: Gijs Bakker, Konstantin Grcic, Richard Hutten, Ross Lovegrove, Alberto Meda, Satyendra Pakhalé, Paola Antonelli, Yvònne Joris, (book) 2002^[98]
• Musée départemental d'art contemporain de la Haut-Vienne, Chateeau de Rochechouart, Rochechouart, France
  • Vase Kalpa, 2002^[99]
• SaloneSatellite Permanent Collection^[27]
  • Fish Chair, 2005^[27]
  • Kayo, 2015^[27]

• "Design at Fairchild", 2014, Curators Cristina Grajales, Gabrielle Ammann, Nannett Zapata, Design Miami, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami, Florida^{[19][20][21][22][23][24]}
• "Meeting of Minds", 2010, Hästens Flagship, Stockholm, Sweden^[100][101]
• "Design Lounge", 2009, ammann // gallery, Cologne Fine Art & Antiques, Cologne, Germany^[10]
• Satyendra Pakhalé – Architecture & Design, 2009, MIPIM Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier, Cannes, France^[27]
• "OriginS", 2008, Curator Gabrielle Ammann, ammann // gallery, Cologne, Germany^{[10][102][103]}
• "We can't afford to buy CHEAP things. Personal Shopper", 2007, Messe Frankfurt, Ambiente Frankfurt Fair, Germany^[54]
• Satyendra Pakhalé – Selected design works, 2007, Design Boost, Stockholm, Sweden^[27]
• Satyendra Pakhalé – three projects, 2005, Future Design Days, Stockholm, Sweden^[27]
• "un:Usual", 2003, C/O Glamour Design Store, Corso Indipendenza 16, Milan, Italy
• "Design by Heart", 2003, Curator Paola Antonelli, OTTO Gallery, Bologna, Italy^{[28][104][105][106][107][108][109]}
• "From Projects to Products", 2002, Curator Ingeborg de Roode, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands^{[110][111][29]}
• "Work 'n' Play", 2001, SaloneSatellite, Milan, Italy^{[112][113][114][115]}

• 2022
  • Design+Health - Diseño+Salud, Curator Ramón Úbeda, World Design Capital, Valencia, Spain^[116]

• 2018
  • Made in Holland: 400 years a global brand, Princessehof Ceramics Museum Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
• 2017
  • Ceci n’est pas une copie, Centre d’innovation et de design, Grand-Hornu, Belgium
  • Alessi IN-possible, Triennale di Milano, Italy
  • SaloneSatellite. 20 Years of New Creativity, Fabbrica del Vapore, Milan, Italy
  • Ghost Memory – what a joy! 30° Ghost Anniversary, Milan Fair, Italy
  • The value of design, Red Dot awarded products, Cité du Design, Saint-Étienne, France
• 2016
  • Time Space Existence, Venice Architecture Biennale, Global Art Affairs, Palazzo Michiel, Venice, Italy
  • Houselife, Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Bordeaux, France
• 2015
  • Looking ahead. 9 stories from Veneto: digital – not only digital, Venice Art Biennale, Italy
  • Das Bauhaus #itsalldesign, Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany
  • Wirkkala Revisited, Design Museum Helsinki, Finland
  • Alessi IN-possible, Design Museum Holon, Israel
• 2014
  • Modular system - Add-On Radiator, Paris Designer’s Days, France
  • 100% Tobeus: 100 Designers for 100 New Toy Cars, Canada National Design Museum, Toronto, Canada
  • Cappellini 2000-2012, ICFF New York, USA
  • Industry City, New York, USA
  • Tom Vack. Vanity of Object, Die Neue Sammlung, Munich, Germany
  • Modularity - Add-On Radiator, Malta Design Week, Fort St. Elmo, Valletta, Malta
• 2013
  • Outset Design Fund, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom
  • Meet Design Around the World, Triennale di Milano, Italy
• 2012
  • International Design for Children, The Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
  • Design & Technology - 15th Anniversary SaloneSatellite, Milan Design Week, Italy
• 2011
  • Daily Future, Moon Life Concept Store, Moon Life Foundation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • Can you imagine? Alcantara, power of a material, MAXXI, Rome, Italy
• 2010
  • 10 Years of Via Milano, Oude Kerk Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • In Progress, CID Grand-Hornu, Belgium^[50]
• 2009
  • The Clue Design, Gwanju Design Biennale, South Korea
• 2008
  • Urban Compatibility Iittala, Design Boost, Malmö, Sweden
• 2006
  • Bamboo architectural elements, Transformation: Nature & Beyond, Material ConneXion Flagship, New York, USA
• 2005
  • Ole Palsby Retrospective, The Danish Museum of Art and Design, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 2002
  • Panther Off-Scale – 50 Projects, Moroso Golden Jubilee, Milan, Italy
• 2001
  • World Wide Design, Atelier Renault, Paris, France
• 2000
  • Design works, group exhibition, Gallery Arte e Industria, Parma, Italy
• 1999
  • Beyond European Design, Abitare il Tempo, Verona, Italy
  • Young designers in Milano, Alterpoint Milano, Italy
• 1998
  • Vision on move, Evoluon Philips, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
• 1997
  • Pangéa Concept Car, Geneva International Motor Show, Switzerland^[27]

• 2019
  • Culture of Creation, nai01 Publishers, Rotterdam, NL 2019. ISBN 978-94-6208-514-5. Contributing authors: Alberto Alessi, Juhani Pallasmaa, Paola Antonelli, Jacques Barsac, Giulio Cappellini, Aric Chen, Cristiano Crosetta, Ingeborg de Roode, Rene Spitz, TizianaProietti, Walter Spink, Vittorio Livi, Marva Griffin, and Stefano Marzano
• 2016
  • MGlobal Art Affairs i.c.w. European Cultural Centre, Time Space Existence, Global Art Affairs Foundation, Italy
• 2015
  • Mateo Kries, Jolanthe Kugler, The Bauhaus #itsalldesign, Bundeskunsthalle, Vitra Design Museum, Germany^[117]
• 2010
  • Nestor Perkal, Jeanne Quéheillard, In Progress, Mongrafik éditions, France
  • Michael Alpert, The Haystack Reader – Collected Essays on Craft, 1991-2009, University of Maine Press & Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Orono & Deer Isle, USA
• 2009
  • R. Craig Miller, European Design, Shaping the New Century, Merrell, USA^[118]
• 2004
  • Mel Byars, The Design Encyclopedia, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA^[119]
• 2002
  • Cultural Nomad: From Project to Products – Dal progetto al pradotto, Editoriale Modo, Milano, 2002. ISBN 88-7419-002-6.
• 2000
  • Paola Antonelli, Giulio Cappellini, Vanni Pasca, Beyond European Design, Abitare il Tempo – Experimentation and Research Exhibitions, Edizioni Grafiche Zanni, Italy
• 1998
  • Stefano Marzano, Creating Value by Design - Thoughts & Facts, Philips Design, BIS Publishers, the Netherlands^[120]
  • Jean Pierre Rioux, Renault, Éditions Hazan, France^[121]

• Milano Talks: about design works of Satyendra Pakhalé Milano Talks: about design works of Satyendra Pakhalé
• Curiosities: Satyendra Pakhalé Milan Design Fair Film Satyendra Pakhale Milan Design Fair Film
• CeBIT Global Conferences 2013 - 7 March 2013 - Satyendra Pakhalé CeBIT Global Conferences 2013 - 07 March 2013 - Satyendra Pakhalé
• Designer Satyendra Pakhalé in Amsterdam Designer Satyendra Pakhalé in Amsterdam
• The discourse and culture of design with award-winning designer Satyendra Pakhalé The discourse and culture of design with award-winning designer Satyendra Pakhalé
• Satyendra Pakhalé - Making of B.M. Horse Chair Satyendra Pakhalé - Making of B.M. Horse Chair
• Workshop TUBES radiatori in Venice with Satyendra Pakhalé Workshop TUBES radiatori in Venice with Satyendra Pakhalé.
• Seminário Internacional de Economia Criativa e Design - Debate Satyendra Pakhalé (áudio original) Seminário Internacional de Economia Criativa e Design - Debate Satyendra Pakhalé (áudio original)
• Satyendra Pakhalé for Design Miami, Design at Fairchild gardens, Miami, USA Cappellini Viola Fish Chair by Satyendra Pakhale for Design Miami 2015

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