Property developer Rajan Bijlani, a north London collector, has amassed over 500 pieces of Modernist design, focusing on Pierre Jeanneret’s furniture from Chandigarh, India. He recently opened his home, Fonthill Pottery, for a second exhibition titled "Electric Kiln," pairing Jeanneret and Le Corbusier works with pieces by ceramicist Emmanuel Cooper, potter Lucie Rie, and painter Frank Auerbach. Some works are for sale to fund future shows, including a Japan-themed exhibition and one timed to London Gallery Weekend.
Bijlani’s collection and exhibitions matter because they challenge the boundary between fine art and collectible design, while also elevating Jeanneret’s legacy as a foundational 20th-century designer. By staging shows in his own home and focusing on authenticity—calling out fakes and poor restorations—he offers a model for private collectors to shape curatorial narratives and preserve design history outside traditional institutions.