MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission 2025: Nipa Doshi
Celebrated globally for her distinctive aesthetic that elegantly engages with her Indian heritage, Mumbai-born, London-based designer Nipa Doshi has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission, a major series inviting globally renowned designers to create groundbreaking new work for the NGV Collection. Doshi will create a new piece of conceptual furniture, titled A Room of My Own, which will be unveiled at an exclusive presentation at NGV International in Melbourne, Australia on 25 September 2025, before entering the NGV’s permanent collection.
A Room of My Own imbues personal history and memory into functional design, in the form of a handcrafted, multidimensional cabinet that serves as both a shrine and a dressing table. Drawing inspiration from portable Indian shrines known as Kavad, the cabinet is a space for personal ritual and care, while paying homage to the multigenerational women who have profoundly shaped Doshi’s life and career.
Abstract portraits within the cabinet reflect an amalgamation of women whose extraordinary qualities have influenced Doshi. Figures from an avant-garde 1970s Indian actress; to an elderly matriarch from Doshi’s neighbourhood growing up; and a compassionate nurse who cared for the designer when she was at her most vulnerable, will all hold a presence within Doshi’s shrine. The portraits within the cabinet are revealed when the doors are opened, intimately inviting the viewer into Doshi’s inner world shaped by her life experiences.
A Room of My Own balances a rigorous attention to utility with a deeply personal narrative, demonstrating that design can be both purposeful and poetic. Throughout her career, Doshi has drawn upon an array of influences and memories from her own life, including seminal 1970s Bollywood films; Indian pigments and textiles; the architecture of Le Corbusier; Doshi’s grandmother’s traditional Indian gold and enamel earrings; and the royal miniature paintings of Jodhpur.
One half of the acclaimed Doshi Levien studio, which she established with her husband Jonathan Levien in 2000, Doshi Levien was the recipient of the prestigious Designer of the year at the 2015 Elle Deco International Design Awards. Her work has been exhibited in premier institutions across the globe, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Art Institute of Chicago and MoMA in New York.
Doshi is the fourth recipient of the annual, five-year commission series, made possible by a significant contribution from MECCA and supported through its social change initiative, M-POWER. The Women in Design partnership aligns with M-POWER’s mission to drive meaningful progress towards gender equality, by championing opportunities for women and girls in the arts and design, and to inspire the next generation of female creatives. The first and only series of its kind in Australia, the commission creates a platform to present topical, world-premiere works of international significance to highlight the contributions and practices of women in design.
“I am truly honoured to be the recipient of this very prestigious and generous award and see it as an opportunity to create exceptional new work, bringing together all the different aspects of my design practice,” says Nipa Doshi MBE.
“The creative freedom offered by the commission allows me to make work with a strong narrative, resulting in a collectible piece that embodies my values as a woman in design.”
To celebrate the announcement of Nipa Doshi as the 2025 Commission recipient, NGV and MECCA will host a free event on International Women’s Day, Saturday 8 March, at NGV International. Doshi will be in Melbourne for an in-conversation talk at 11.00am in the Great Hall. Visitors will also have an opportunity to ask Doshi their own questions in a live Q&A moderated by Simone LeAmon, NGV’s Curator of Contemporary Design and Architecture, at 1.30pm.
An interactive workshop developed in collaboration with Doshi will offer visitors a chance to design their own hand printed silk scarf using a collection of abstract shapes designed by Doshi. Also in the Great Hall will be a panel discussion on the rising popularity of design, DJ sets from DITA and complimentary refreshments from Allpress Espresso and Monforte Viennoiserie patisserie.
The MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission is MECCA’s single largest commitment to an Australian cultural institution, through this significant contribution MECCA’s support will strengthen the NGV’s Collection of Contemporary Design and Architecture works by women and advance the NGV’s ongoing efforts towards redressing historical gender imbalance in the Collection.
Over five years, commissioned designers are revealed annually coinciding with International Women’s Day in March, with the final work being revealed by year’s end. The partnership will culminate in a major exhibition to showcase the five bodies of work and the remarkable Collection outcome.
MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission 2025: Nipa Doshi will be on display from 25 September 2025 at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Free entry.
To find out more about the NGV’s International Women’s Day public programs on Saturday 8 March, please visit the NGV website: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/
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