5 studios bringing Indian craft into modern homes

In a world dominated by fast-paced mass manufacturing and cookie-cutter designs, there’s a rising demand for merchandise that carry a historic narrative or an attention-grabbing backstory. India is dwelling to a treasure trove of indigenous crafts which can be a mix of regional cultural influences, distinctive artisan abilities and time-honoured strategies which were meticulously practised over a long time and typically centuries. They encapsulate group practices and are symbolic of rituals and traditions that span generations.

Unfortunately, many such crafts have misplaced their worth in the present day on account of a wide range of elements, together with lack of demand, dwindling variety of expert artisans and stagnation of designs. “At Nolwa Studio, we believe that traditional Indian crafts have the potential to enrich the modern design landscape. Their design language and vocabulary might have stagnated, but the skills, processes and knowledge are definitely relevant and offer us possibilities for contemporary expression and reimagination,” says Rohit Naag, Founder and Creative Director, Nolwa Studio.

Modern designers are integrating the nuances of indigenous crafts into modern merchandise, thereby guaranteeing that every design carries a chunk of historical past and cultural significance. “Such products embody the value of the human touch. Beyond being a story of patience and remarkable craftsmanship, such products are inherently unique, where no two are alike. They offer the charm of owning something distinctive and whose value only deepens with time. Each craft has a distinct purpose and has evolved with a deep sensitivity to local climates and materials,” says Amrita Guha, founding accomplice, Furgonomics.

Such merchandise carry character, which means, and soul into modern areas. “They offer a bridge between the past and present, anchoring contemporary living in centuries of culture, symbolism and technique. In many ways, our evolving aesthetic is a return to authenticity, and craft is central to that journey,” says Sidharth Rohatgi, Design Director, Fos Lighting. Here is a take a look at 5 organisations leveraging the wealthy heritage of Indian craft to create purposeful but aesthetic inside merchandise.

Fos Lighting, New Delhi

A key pattern going robust in luxurious lighting is personalisation. Fos Lighting is of the agency perception that lights mustn’t solely illuminate an area but in addition evoke emotion. “Our handcrafted lights invite people to bring a piece of their culture home, sparking nostalgia while adding timeless elegance. Whether it’s a brass lotus lamp or a light adorned with Kashmiri embroidery, these elements elevate interiors with layers of story and substance, adding a touch of relevance and emotion,” says Rohatgi. The model works carefully with expert artisans, and their handcrafted lamps and lights function age-old crafts and strategies like inlay and engraving. Brass navkashi work, the place intricate hand-chiselled designs are crafted on brass, is used to lend a temple-like grandeur to wall sconces and pendant lamps. Marble inlay from Agra, historically seen in Mughal structure, has been reimagined to reinforce the appear and feel of desk lamps and wall lights with modern strains. “We use delicate Rashida embroidery from Kashmir over fabric lamp shades to add texture and depth to lighting. Terracotta and clay work, moulded and painted by hand, finds its way in rustic outdoor lighting and warm ambient fixtures. Often, our artisans themselves suggest which materials or techniques will best express a design. It is a collaborative, evolving process that ensures both craft preservation and innovation in design,” says Rohatgi.

Divine duo options the connection of Krishna and Radha by conventional craft.
| Photo Credit:
NIVEDITA GUPTA

Furgonomics, New Delhi

Founded by Guha and Joya Nandurdikar, Furgonomics has been reimagining numerous Indian crafts, comparable to marquetry, Tarkashi, Sanjhi and Koftgiri for his or her merchandise. “The intent is to bring lesser-known crafts and the beauty they hold into the products we design, allowing them to reach a wider audience and thrive across generations,” says Nandurdikar. The duo has additionally been exploring craft traditions comparable to Kari Kalamdani, Pinjrakari, and Khatamband in shutters for wardrobes and partitions and Dokra in console tables. “We enjoy using art forms in unconventional ways. All our products are exquisitely crafted by local artisans who have worked with these materials and techniques for years,” provides Guha. Other merchandise from the model embrace chairs whose smooth picket type is enriched with silver edges that showcase Koftgiri, a uncommon Rajasthani craft the place intricate silver inlays are executed on iron or metal. They have additionally designed a tall storage unit that includes two shutters and a base crafted from Basalt (Indian quartzite). The piece is a daring fusion of ornamental woodworking strategies like marquetry and Tarkashi, the place stable wooden serves because the canvas for a creative interaction of those craft kinds. Here, robust geometric graphics are utilized in an try to interrupt away from conventional interpretations of the craft, providing a recent lens on age-old strategies.

Bidri inlay on a futuristic bar cupboard.
| Photo Credit:
NOLWA STUDIO

Nolwa Studio, Hyderabad

Nolwa Studio has been reconceptualising conventional strategies by creating items that aren’t solely rooted in heritage, however are additionally novel, modern and globally related. The model has been revitalising Bidri, which is an intricate and conventional metal-inlay craft that entails a meticulous eight-step course of, of their merchandise like drop tables, lamps and mirrors. “We combined Bidri, which is normally viewed as being purely ornamental, with design sensibilities that are not conventionally associated with the craft, such as avant-garde, organic forms, minimalism, and large-scale applications to create unique expressions that embrace the future while staying rooted. Our objects represent an uncommon scale, and achieving this scale required the development of new casting techniques and engineering innovations, allowing the craft to move beyond surface ornamentation and become integral to the object’s form and function,” provides Naag. For occasion, their monolith and horizon lamp are sculptural objects of illumination, whereas the drop desk is a espresso desk with a seemingly levitating base. All these objects have a good time craft, artistry and design and invite engagement, whereas having a component of performance. “By combining Bidri metal with wood in Liminal, a futuristic bar-cabinet, we are expanding possibilities for the craft beyond the familiar, thereby creating modern heirlooms that carry tradition into the future,” says Naag.

Design ni Dukaan, Ahmedabad

A multidisciplinary studio which believes that “craft is generational while design is intentional”, Design ni Dukaan has been creating merchandise the place materiality, craftsmanship, and religious philosophy converge. “Whether we design a space or a swing, we try to translate the intangible, the nostalgia of crafts and the rhythmic labour of the artisan, into a tangible, architectural presence. Through collaboration with artisans, the craft is no longer just an object; it becomes a functional sculpture and a dialogue between tradition and reinvention,” says Veeram Shah, Principal Architect, Design ni Dukaan. The agency has been reworking wardrobe fascia by inventive interventions through textiles, cane, or inlays, making them extra than simply purposeful parts. Handwoven pattamadai paai or pattamadai mats from Tamil Nadu have been used not solely in wardrobe fascia but in addition in swings, given their flexibility and talent to fold. “We have also used Sujani weaving from Gujarat to create a partition screen for one of our architectural projects,” provides Shah. Their metallic dismantle chair is an exploration of precision and modularity, a development system that eliminates welding, relying as a substitute on an intricate joinery system fixed with Allen keys. Crafted from teakwood and stable milled brass, with brass pipes forming structural connections, the chair is conceived as a equipment of components, permitting for full disassembly and easy reassembly.

Made from a single block of wooden, the shape displays the customs of Naga chieftains.
| Photo Credit:
THC

Traditional Handicrafts Centre (THC), Jodhpur

This furnishings model, which takes delight in internet hosting a group of artisans and retaining artisan guilds and craft cultures alive, works with a number of craft kinds and supplies. Some of those embrace bone inlay, wooden carving and wrought iron crafts. Their key specialisation is in bone inlay furnishings, other than sourcing, restoring, and reviving heritage Naga furnishings items from Nagaland. Bone inlay originated within the royal courts of Rajasthan and was used to design palaces, temples, and treasured heirlooms. The course of stays largely unchanged: each sliver of bone is hand-cut, formed, and individually inlaid into carved wooden. “The bone inlay work we do is deeply rooted in heritage and built to last. Each piece is meticulously verified for quality and strength. We ensure that all camel bone used is ethically sourced, primarily from camels that have died naturally, and is often certified by local authorities,” says Priyank Gupta, Partner, THC. The agency can also be devoted in the direction of preserving the intricate woodwork of Nagaland. “We revive this age-old craft rooted in symbolism, community identity and storytelling. Each piece is ethically sourced from old structures and carefully restored using reclaimed teak wood, ensuring sustainability and authenticity at THC’s Jodhpur workshop. The hornbill and geometric patterns, which reflect deep cultural meaning, are now adapted for modern interiors,” provides Gupta.