A makeover for the matka

She seamlessly blends the “high” and “low” of Indian craft processes and creates pure magic. From the popular “bicycle throne” to the “potli chair” and “rock cluster table”, product designer Gunjan Gupta has come up with products that are indigenous, yet immensely contemporary.

In Gunjan’s signature style, Indian objects like the bartan, bori, gadda, masnad and potli (among others) come to life in a new avatar as sculptural furniture. Her latest collection will be showcased at the forthcoming prestigious FuoriSalone, Milan in April 2014 and subsequently at Design Miami, Basel in June 2014; and her work is represented by leading international galleries like Rosanna Orlandi and Era Studio Apartment Gallery at Milan.

Ask her about her unique designs and Gunjan says, “I like to work with traditional craft communities in India to develop a range of contemporary furniture and accessories. Be it the potli or bartan, all are immensely desi. The humble and the ordinary are quite interesting. For my bicycle throne, I was inspired by the cyclists meandering around with wares strapped on their back and for my potli chair, I chose to use one of the most quintessential items associated with Indian culture.”

Her gallery, named StudioWRAP, is housed in a large warehouse that comprises Gunjan’s design studio and prototyping laboratory. This is where her iconic designs emerge from. Of her latest collection to be created in the studio, she says, “It celebrates and interprets the paradoxical material and craft culture of India where ‘found’ objects sit elegantly near precious materials and the manufacturing process is a coming together of ‘low’ (jugaad) and ‘high’ (traditional Indian) craft process that are unique to our country.”

Some of the interesting items from this collection include the “bori sofa”, a sofa seat created out of jute sacks that recreates the feel of an Indian warehouse, the “matka table” that recreates an Indian street side shop in red sandstone (and yet is a functional table that can be used in individual capacity or by many people), and the “bartan throne” in which Gunjan brings together aluminum cooking pots with brass pots in a functional installation to create a throne.

On being asked about her favourite international designers, Gunjan responds, “Although I love the work of very many designers, I am in complete awe of the way the Brazilian Campana brothers (Humberto Campana and Fernando Campana) approach their work. The brothers make furniture out of ordinary materials including scrap and waste products such as cardboard, rope, cloth and wood scraps, plastic tubes and aluminum wire and create products that are seeped in Brazilian culture. Their designs are delightful.”