Rajeev Sethi (born 24 May 1949) is a noted Indian

designer A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exp ...

scenographer A scenographer or production designer, develops the appearance of a stage design, a TV or movie set, a gaming environment, a trade fair exhibition design or a museum experience exhibition design. The term originated in theater. A scenographer work ...

and

art curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

. He is known for his outstanding designs across the world. In 1986, he was awarded the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

, India's third highest civilian award, given

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

Early life and background

Sethi was born in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

to freedom fighter parents. His mother, Krishna Sethi was a member of Delhi's first Legislative Assembly and his father Kishorilal Sethi was a businessman and a poet. He also had four elder sisters. He went to

Modern School, New Delhi Modern School is a co-educational, private school in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1920 by Lala Raghubir Singh, a prominent Delhi-based businessman and philanthropist, who desired an institution that combined the "best of ancient Indian tr ...

and studied History at

St. Stephen's College, Delhi St. Stephen's College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi, widely regarded as one of the oldest and most prestigious colleges for arts and sciences in India. It was established in 1881 by the Cambridge Mission to Delhi. The college ...

Career

Sethi spent his formative years in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, where he first went to study graphic art on a scholarship. Thereafter he trained under painter and printmaker

Stanley William Hayter Stanley William Hayter (27 December 1901 – 4 May 1988) was an English painter and printmaker associated in the 1930s with surrealism and from 1940 onward with abstract expressionism. Regarded as one of the most significant printmakers of ...

at his studio,

Atelier 17 Atelier 17 was an art school and studio that was influential in the teaching and promotion of printmaking in the 20th century. Originally located in Paris, the studio relocated to New York during the years surrounding World War II. It moved back ...

. He was mentored by American designers

Ray Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (g ...

and

Charles Eames Charles Ormond Eames Jr. (June 17, 1907 – August 21, 1978) was an American designer, architect and filmmaker. In professional partnership with his spouse Ray Kaiser Eames, he was responsible for groundbreaking contributions in the field of a ...

. Finally he got a chance to work at studio of French designer,

Pierre Cardin Pierre Cardin (, , ), born Pietro Costante Cardino (2 July 1922 – 29 December 2020), was an Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. He is known for what were his avant-garde style and Space Age designs. He preferred geometric shap ...

. Meanwhile, in 1960, he designed Delhi's first

discotheque A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

, ''Cellar'' at Regal Building, Connaught Place. He is curator and founder-chairman of the Asian Heritage Foundation. He designed the Jaya He GVK New Museum at the brand new T2 terminal in Mumbai. He is also part of

INTACH The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is a non-profit charitable organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. In 2007, the United Nations awarded INTACH a special consultative status with Unite ...

constituted the first Governing Council.

Jaya He GVK New Museum

The Jaya He Museum is spread over three km, an area covering 80,000 sq ft on walls at the Mumbai T2 terminal. The Jaya He GVK New Museum is the metaphorical centerpiece of the majestic new airport terminal.

Projects

* VIP Lounge, Delhi International Airport (1984) * Shah House, Mumbai (1985–86) * Spice Route Restaurant, the Imperial Hotel, New Delhi (1988–95) * Laxmi Machine Works Headquarters, Coimbatore (1996) * Art at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai (2003) * Hampi Resort (2006) * Leela Kempinski (2008) * Art at Hyatt (2012) * Terminal 2 - Mumbai Airport (2014)

Awards and recognition

* Sanskriti Award for the field of outstanding social and cultural achievement (1980) * National order of the

from the President of India (1985) * Honour Summus Medal by Watumull Foundation USA for design (1987) * Designer of the Year, Interior Design - the Publication's Inaugural award (1992) * Honoured by the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

(2001) * Artisan Advocate by Aid to Artisans, USA (2004) * Foundation Member of the

World Academy of Art and Science The World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS), founded in 1960, is an international non-governmental scientific organization and global network of more than 800 scientists, artists, and scholars in more than 90 countries. It serves as a forum for s ...

, USA * The First Indira Gandhi Lifetime Achievement Award for conservation by

(Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage) 2010

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sethi, Rajeev 20th-century Indian designers 1949 births Indian art curators Living people People from Delhi Indian interior designers St. Stephen's College, Delhi alumni Indian scenic designers Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Atelier 17 alumni