Mumbai-born, London-based designer Nipa Doshi has been announced 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 National Gallery of Victoria’s collection.

As one-half of London furniture, textiles and product design studio Doshi Levien, Doshi is known for a distinctive aesthetic that engages with her Indian heritage. She will channel this into a new piece of conceptual furniture for the NGV commission titled A Room of My Own. The finished work will be unveiled at NGV International in Melbourne on 25 September 2025 before entering the NGV’s permanent collection.

A Room of My Own

According to the NGV, A Room of My Own imbues functional design with personal history and memory. It will take the form of a handcrafted, multi-dimensional 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. 

Abstract portraits within the cabinet reflect an amalgamation of women whose extraordinary qualities have influenced Doshi’s life and career. These figures range 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. Portraits within the cabinet are revealed when the doors are opened, inviting the viewer into an intimate representation of Doshi’s inner world.

Doshi says she views the “generous” award as an opportunity to create exceptional new work.

“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,” she says.

The MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission series

Doshi is the penultimate designer to take part in this annual, five-year commission series. She follows Netherlands-based designer Christien Meindertsma, who received the commission in 2024, London-based designer Bethan Laura Wood, who was commissioned in 2023, and Mexican designer and architect Tatiana Bilbao, who was the inaugural recipient in 2022.

The commission aims to create a platform for topical, world-premiere works of international significance to highlight the contributions and practices of women in design.

To celebrate her commission, Doshi will be in Melbourne for a free talk on International Women’s Day on Saturday 8 March at 11am in NGV International’s Great Hall. Visit the NGV website for more information.

Lead image: Portrait of Nipa Doshi. Photographer Rodrigo Carmeuga. All images supplied by NGV.

Read our profile on Christien Meindertsma from 2024.