The rooms at Kadari Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills feel different these days. There is a quiet sense of discovery as drawings, models, furniture and playful experiments spill into the space, inviting visitors into the minds of architects Huzefa Rangwala and Jasem Pirani. Their exhibition, Muse: The Making Room, gathers over a decade of work, revealing not just finished projects but the messy, beautiful process behind them.
For gallery founder Supraja Rao, this design-led show has been a long time coming. After decades of running both an interior design practice and an art gallery, she felt the need to consciously integrate the two. “This year and next, our focus is to build a true bridge between art and design. This is our first academic-focused show,” she says. Drawing from history, she notes how Indian temples seamlessly merged architecture and sculpture: “I have always visualised why a building cannot look like a piece of art.”
Choosing Jasem and Huzefa was also personal. Supraja had followed their work for years and valued the people behind the practice. She guided the visitor experience while giving the architects complete freedom to shape the narrative. Timelines, she says, were the only challenge during months of planning.
The exhibition layout reflects this layered thinking. Jasem explains that the gallery’s architecture helped them carve out smaller zones, making circulation dynamic. Showcasing unbuilt projects alongside built ones was intentional. “We wanted to show older collectibles and toys that mark the start of our journey, then trace the evolution into newer furniture pieces. Even the unbuilt or failed projects mattered because you learn from them, and we wanted to share those ideas,” he says.
For Huzefa, displaying unfinished work was about honesty. “Through this show, I wanted to reveal our vulnerability, our mistakes and the process behind the scenes. All designers face the same struggles, and sharing that truth builds con nection,” he shares.
Their partnership is rooted in this openness. Huzefa describes Jasem as ‘my punching bag, the shoulder I cry on and Mr Dependable’, acknowledging the delicate balance of being both friends and business partners.
Their design language, often mistaken for minimalism, is something Huzefa reframes. “Our approach is always project-specific and client-driven. There’s a minimal base, but play and curiosity come naturally. We don’t force fun elements, they just surface,” he explains.
Jasem shares the story behind their practice name. “When we began in 2012, we knew we didn’t want a namesake practice. Every project tells a story, and in art and design, there is always a muse. Since our work is playful and curiosity-driven, ‘lab’ felt right. That’s how Muse Lab was born,” he says. Later came Muse Mart for products and experiments. “Hence, ‘Muse: The Making Room’ for this exhibition,” he adds.
Their creative world extends far beyond architecture — to writing, filming, toys, furniture and even board games. Reimagining old games comes from the same impulse: to pull people away from screens and back into shared, tactile experiences.
Walking through Muse: The Making Room, what lingers is the honesty of their process. The exhibition feels less like a display and more like stepping into a living studio where ideas are constantly being tested, shaped and set in motion.
— Story by Darshita Jain
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