Window from East to West: Blending Mandala Units with Contemporary Interior Design and Furniture

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Interior Design, Faculty of Applied Arts, Damietta University, Egypt

Abstract

Art is one of the means that express the environment and individuals to understand human civilizations. India is considered one of the Far Eastern countries with rich artistic heritage and many myths, and magic that are reflected in the customs and traditions of this society. The art of mandala is one of the Indian heritage arts, which has witnessed a wide spread and an evolution in its forms nowadays. It also has a psychological therapeutic role, as it helps a person to get rid of stress and anxiety. Recently, many models have emerged for the possibility of combining mandala units with interior design and furniture. Although the shapes and colors of mandalas may differ according to the usage type and the way they are blended in. The use in children's rooms differs from the dining room, and public places differ according to the activity and purpose required to use the colors and shapes of mandala in it.
The research aims to study the possibility of merging an original sample of Indian mandala art in the Far East with an original sample of Islamic art in Middle East, and how to apply it in contemporary interior design and furniture in an innovative way. The analysis found that Islamic art is one of the closest arts to the art of mandala for several reasons. Such as history, Islam has entered India in the past, and there has been a mixture of these two types of art elements in the past. The other, that pattern structure is close in mandala and Islamic art. Finally, a pattern model of an integrated unit of Islamic art and mandala art was presented as a sample integrating the two types of art. Also examples of how to use this new pattern in the different furniture units.

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