Architect Ashiesh Shah is the founder and creative director of Ashiesh Shah Architecture + Design. Finding a semblance between art, architecture and design, Shah is leading various high-end projects in India and beyond.
From office spaces and penthouses to concept stores and restaurants, architect and interior designer Ashiesh Shah’s portfolio is extensive and diverse. His aesthetic sensibility has found its way to the renowned celebrity homes of Hrithik Roshan, Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Meher Jessia, Abhishek Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Cecilia Morelli-Parikh and Hemant Oberoi to name a few. His approach to design has made him a favourite among A-listers. His practice is rooted in the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, which has influenced his vision of space and his choice of materials, resonating with his characteristic of being a tastemaker in the architectural world. The aesthetic is described as beauty that is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
Shah was titled the Elle Décor Designer of the Year in 2016 and is named one of the 50 most influential names in architecture and design in the country by Architectural Digest since its inception in 2014. Additionally, he was awarded Most Respected Architect of the Year by the GROHE Summit, India 2019. His projects have been published numerous times over in the New York Times in addition to his recognition received in The World of Interiors, International Herald Tribune, Wallpaper Magazine, Elle Decoration, Architectural Digest, Vogue, Casa Vogue, Conde Nast Traveller to name a few.
Ashiesh was invited by NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog as a Champion of Change in Transforming India through G2B Partnerships. He will continue to be the spokesperson of Soft Power on the special advisory board to the Prime Minister of India towards the vision of Incredible India 2.0. Additionally, he is an integral member of the jury panel for the JSW Craftsmanship Prize in association with Architectural Digest, translating his passion for contemporary culture and design analysis.
Shah’s exhibition ‘Sustain: The Craft Idiom’ was a specially curated cultural project for the 2nd G20 CWG meeting (May 14 to 17, 2023) organised in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The theme of the exhibition was predicated on and reflective of the second priority of the Culture Working Group (CWG) -‘Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future.’ The exhibition was held at Kala Bhoomi - Odisha Crafts Museum from 16-22 May 2023. ‘Sustain: The Craft Idiom’ is composed of three constituent experiences - Stambh, Akshara and demonstrations by master artisans and teachers.
A contributing editor at Vogue and Casa Vogue, Shah regularly writes about interiors, art and design for several magazines including Architectural Digest, Conde Nast Traveler, Telegraph, Hello, HiBlitz and newspapers like DNA, Mumbai Mirror and HT Cafe. He is also often invited to speak about design, his journey and architecture in different forums of discussion and communication on a multitude of platforms. A collector of art and design, in 2014, Shah was nominated under the category of the most influential young art collector in the subcontinent by Forbes India. Ashiesh considers himself an eclectic collector, whose taste spans centuries and continents. His keen interest in art often informs, inspires and nourishes his practice and perspective.
Apart from being an angel investor, Shah is a renowned curator for design exhibits of art, crafts and design that bring together the best of Indian talent under one roof. In 2018, Shah collaborated with the Times of India group to curate and develop a Design Exhibition, D-code that showcased the best in design from around the world. In addition, Shah fronted a first-of-its-kind design-centric television show, Design HQ, on Fox Life created in collaboration with CondeNast Video.
An extension to Shah's design practice, he opened his very own atelier in 2017 which amalgamates experimentation, craftsmanship and technique into a creative ecosystem for collaboration and development. For Shah, transitioning from interior to product design was a natural progression, propelled by years of designing custom furniture pieces for his esteemed clientele. Gravitating towards geometry, materiality and his simple Wabi-Sabi aesthetic, Atelier is a composition of inventiveness, tapped by artists, coming together to narrate tales of evolving aesthetics.
Furthermore, amid a global pandemic that has brought the entire world to a standstill, Ashiesh wanted to create a formalised body of change amongst designers and has been able to conceptualise and collaborate to launch The India Design Fund (TIDF), an oasis through the trying coronavirus pandemic in early May 2020. The Fund brings together powerful voices from within the industry committed to support, advocate and collaborate for the transformation of lives, and livelihood in design - collaborating for the improvement of life and safety standards and to nurture indigenous design and craftsmanship in the wake of an anti-globalization wave.
AWARDS
Architectural Digest AD 100 - Residential project 2023
Elle Décor - EDIDA - Best Lighting 2022
Elle Décor - EDIDA - Best Flooring 2022
Architectural Digest AD 100 The Most Influential Name in Indian Architecture & Design 2022
Architectural Digest AD 100 The Most Influential Name in Indian Architecture & Design 2021
Elle Décor - EDIDA - Interior Designer of the Year 2020
Architectural Digest AD 100 The Most Influential Name in Indian Architecture & Design 2020
Architectural Digest AD 100 The Most Influential Name in Indian Architecture & Design 2019
GROHE Summit - Most Respected Architect of the Year – India 2019
Elle Décor - EDIDA - Best Kitchenware 2018
GQ – 50 most influential young Indians 2018
Architectural Digest AD 50 The Most Influential Name in Indian architecture & design 2018
Architectural Digest AD 50 The most influential names in Indian architecture & design 2017
GQ – 50 most influential young Indians 2017
HELLO! India- 50 Most Dynamic Trendsetters 2017
Society Interiors Design Competition & Awards 2017 – Outstanding Contribution to Architecture & Interior Design
Elle Decor International Design Awards-India 2016- Designer of the Year
Architectural Digest AD 50 The most influential names in Indian architecture & design 2016
Trends Excellence Awards in Architecture and Design 2016 – Interior Design of Bar/Restaurant
Trends Excellence Awards in Architecture and Design 2016 – Interior Design of Residence
The India Story - Best Residence 2016
GQ – 50 most influential young Indians 2016
Architectural Digest AD 50 The most influential names in Indian architecture & design 2015
Architectural Digest AD 50 - The most influential names in Indian architecture & design 2014
The Economic Times Ace Tech - Eminent Jury Member 2014
Good Homes Awards 2014 – Jury Member
Architectural Digest AD 50 The Most Influential Name in Indian architecture & design 2013
Elle Décor - EDIDA Best Lighting 2013
Architect and Interiors India IGEN-50 2012
Elle Décor - EDIDA - Best Outdoor 2009