ISSUE 14

The Rhythm of Form

One of the most striking pieces at our Greenpoint location is a red ceramic vase by Leyla Khosrowshahi. Its surface bends and twists gently, traced with pale lines that seem to travel around the form rather than settle on it. Depending on where you’re standing, it looks different.

On a cold afternoon on the west side of Manhattan, Ivana and I arrived at Leyla’s Tribeca studio, not far from the river. Shelves of sculptural vases and works in progress gathered in her corner of the studio, each piece distinct but clearly part of the same visual language. At first glance, the pieces felt rhythmic. Curves folded into themselves. Surfaces repeated in subtle sequences. The forms seemed to move even while standing still.

Nearby sat a group of commission pieces she is currently developing. Larger in scale and more assertive, they felt like embodiments of her artistic viewpoint.

We ventured to Leyla’s apartment, where her work exists alongside her life. Vases appeared throughout the space, lining tables and shelves, woven naturally into a home layered with art, books, and natural light. Outside the studio, the pieces took on a different presence. They felt lived with rather than displayed, objects that guided you into the space rather than spotlighting themselves.

We ended the afternoon at Tibi’s flagship store in SoHo, where Leyla’s white vases stood in a quiet row, each holding a few bare branches. It felt like a fitting final stop. Against the glass, they felt less like a display and more like figures pausing mid-motion, drawing you inward and conveying the same quiet sense of movement that had carried us all day.