Four studios that brought craft to India Design ID 2024

For Aku Zeliang, 31, there was a tale waiting to be told about the Konyaks, a final group of headhunter tribes in eastern Nagaland who are distinguished by their ornate headdresses and facial tattoos. The designer from Dimapur showcased his cane and bamboo furniture, showcasing the abilities of his family craft at the just concluded India Design ID 2024 in Delhi. "One of the collections draws inspiration from the Konyak dances, in which participants don black clothing and accessorize with vibrant jewelry." In an ancient civilization lacking written language, tattoos emerged as a means of communication. Our tables and chairs feature these designs. Using colored cane strips, we have also reinterpreted the tiger spirit tattoo that is typically seen on Naga warriors in the assortment," he remarked. During the design festival, which took place from February 15 to 18, at the NSIC Grounds in Okhla, Zeliang's Urra Design was one of the numerous companies that had transformed Indian craftsmanship and stories into furniture and other items. Leading figures in architecture and design from around the globe gathered for the 12th edition of the Ogaan Media-organized expo, which featured over 130 décor brands showing their most recent designs. In the midst of all the glitz and splendor, 67-year-old Ishwarbai stood motionless as he saw people approaching his booth to gaze at his exquisite wood marquetry works on consoles, chairs, and coffee tables. He has collaborated with the Ahmedabad-based studio This and That for more than 25 years.

This year, they traveled to the Bodo tribes of Assam in the east and managed to successfully transfer the dots, dashes, and lines from eri silk textiles onto wood. They are known for incorporating indigenous crafts into their creations. Since I was seven years old, I have worked as a carpenter. I've gotten really good at working with wood blocks of different sizes and have picked up a few new skills along the road," he said. Morii Design, a company located in Gandhinagar, exhibited wall art to the expo to display the hand embroidery skills of kalamkari and sujini from various craft hubs throughout the nation. The abstract landscapes in subdued earthy tones of brown, ochre, green, and blue, priced at one lakh and upwards, were the outcome of a sampling directory that inspire Brinda Dudhat, the designer, to collaborate with more than 80 female craftspeople in seven villages.