Lladro, the Spanish luxury porcelain company, has an interesting clientele, one that appreciates both the gentle figurines of mothers and children and flower sellers, as well as the more edgy Guest, launched this year and created by LA artist Tim Biskup and the Tokyo design team, Devilrobots. Featuring skull shirts and tattooed faces, Guest is one of the bold updates at the company, courtesy their artistic director, the famous Spanish designer Jaime Hayon. Of course, all this is in step with the company’s plans to make Lladro relevant to collectors across the world.
Take for instance, the Spirit of India collection, with fine porcelain figurines like the Rama Sita and Ganesha series. “We are a luxury item. The value lies in the products made by experts who have excellent technique. There is no easy or fast process of making it,” says Rosa Lladro, president of the company. Rosa who is on an Indian tour to launch the limited edition of Lladro Goddess Lakshmi and meet loyal customers, was in the city recently.
The world as one
Goddess Lakshmi, sold across the world (with only 720 units) is made of high porcelain and has a gold lustre, with fine details. “We have 12 in-house designers. Sometimes we collaborate with designers of different nationalities to bring a different viewpoint. That way we are open minded,” says Rosa, revealing that Flower of the Season from 1982 is her favourite design for its “classic yet modern” feel. As the daughter of one of the three brothers who launched the family-owned company in 1953, she clearly loves her porcelain and tells us about new designs like Sai Baba and Mahatma Gandhi and others like Hanuman and Lakshman that will come soon.
Object of hope
Country specific collections have been launched only for India and Japan, where the figurines are “connected to feelings, something you can pray to.” The US and Japan are their largest market, but they have hopes for India. “It’s wonderful to see how Indians carry off their traditional and modern sensibilities so graciously,” she says. The limited edition Goddess Lakshmi sculpture costs Rs 6,50,000.
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