Sense and sensibility

The success of Neel Shukla, Founder and Creative Director of IV-Four, is intrinsically linked to that of Dubai. Having worked on residential palaces and top hospitality projects including the Burj Al Arab, Grosvenor House Dubai and W Hotel The Palm, Shukla is synonymous with dramatic lights and installations. He tells identity about his design journey, his recent projects and the rebranding of his company, Four Seasons Ramesh Gallery (FSRG).

- Penny McCormick

In retrospect, Burj Al Arab marked the start of my career in the UAE.

It placed Dubai at the epicentre of design and hospitality in the world. For many newcomers this iconic structure became an inspiration and fuelled visions for growth and expansion.

There is a growing trend for customisation and one-off bespoke design lighting masterpieces. We are challenged to design and develop jaw-dropping lights every day. Our creative bandwidth is constantly ‘on steroids’.

W Dubai, The Palm represents a turning point in my company’s large scale art sculpture development and manufacturing capacities. The W signage is made of steel and weighs 5500 kilograms, and erecting it was a challenge. It was truly a joint art and engineering project involving lots of research. The sculpture's entire weight sits on the edge of an elevated grass bed.

Our new name and identity suits our work and focus on global projects.

The name of our gallery for the last 15 years was Four Seasons Ramesh Gallery (FSRG), and in my personal opinion that was too long. I wanted to simplify it yet keep the identity of the brand. After almost a year of contemplation I decided on IV (Four).