Indian designers team up with artisans to create edgy décor

When Ashiesh Shah set out to make ‘The Channapatna Light’ in 2020, a take on the indigenious toy-craft of Karnataka, little did he know it would be his toughest project till date. “Shibori artists use thread to isolate many small, repeated points on the fabric which makes it an intricate and detailed process,” says founder and design principal Suman Sharma, who believes with a combination of artistry and practicality along with the sense of timelessness, “there is a leaning towards furniture which integrates craftsmanship and technology, to interpret age-old techniques that have lasted the test of time”. “Interestingly, certain sketches developed several years ago are realised into design objects based on the craft deemed fit for its form and function,” says the designer who is now working on a new collection inspired by the theory of Photokinetism with design objects integrating light, colour and movement. “White marble is embellished with decorative inlays of semi-precious materials,” says Sanjeev, who is glad that the post-lockdown survival of Indian craft has led to handmade being preferred over machine-made art. “The ply used in the cabinetry is made of handwoven bamboo mats by the artisans of Angamaly, Kerala; the bamboo framework is developed by the artisans of Tripura; cane and bamboo facade mats are woven by the artisans of West Bengal; whereas the brass components by the artisans of Moradabad.” At Bamboopecker, Suman says, designers travel to the artisan cluster to design and prototype.