India guest editor: Nayantara Kilachand of Mumbai Boss
Thierry Betancourt
Thierry Betancourt, 28, was a specialist at Sotheby's in New York and London, dealing in 18th century French and European furniture before he made the shift to Mumbai in 2009. 'I was at one of these big Bombay weddings in 2007, and on a day I had off and could escape, I saw a different world to the glitz and glamour and it really was an electric shock,' he says. 'I thought "there is something to be done here."' Fast forward a few years and Betancourt, now a bona fide Mumbai resident who takes the train and can speak a smattering of Hindi, has his own workshop of craftsmen who make one-off furniture and design pieces that he describes as having a certain playfulness. Using everything from steel chai cups to 100-year-old wood, Betancourt's works have been featured everywhere from restaurants to apartments to most recently the Prague Biennale, and can be found in Mumbai at Le Mill. He spoke to us about living in this chaotic and colourful city.
How would you describe your furniture style?
My influences come very much from what I used to do. Like the workmanship of 18th century craftsman, furniture making in India is similar to how it was 300 or 400 years ago. The tools are basic, there is very little machinery, and everything is made from scratch. My furniture is about making quite bulky forms have a lightness.
Tell us a little about the craftsmen you work with
They are a team based in Mumbai but originally from Jodhpur, and the profession has been in their families for generations. The way it works is that there's a foreman and he has his team and they're all from his community. His team consists of 50 to 60 people but I only use as required so I only have 15 people working for me, half of whom are carpenters and half do the finishing. Everything is made in India. Nothing is imported.
Why do you choose recycled wood over new timber?
All the wood has been naturally cured of its water content and resin. Wood is quite a living being, so if buy new wood and put it in a dry environment it will crack, and put it in a humid place and it will expand. Old wood, however, won't move. So I use wood that has been naturally aged over time to prevent that from happening. In the 18th century they would let logs dry for 10 years in the elements for the same purpose.
Where do you shop for unusual finds in the city?
Chor Bazaar is definitely a good place to look, as well as local markets like Crawford market and bigger shops like Le Mill and Good Earth. Of course, I also go back to Europe to see what people are exploring there too
Thierry Betancourt, 28, was a specialist at Sotheby's in New York and London, dealing in 18th century French and European furniture before he made the shift to Mumbai in 2009. 'I was at one of these big Bombay weddings in 2007, and on a day I had off and could escape, I saw a different world to the glitz and glamour and it really was an electric shock,' he says. 'I thought "there is something to be done here."' Fast forward a few years and Betancourt, now a bona fide Mumbai resident who takes the train and can speak a smattering of Hindi, has his own workshop of craftsmen who make one-off furniture and design pieces that he describes as having a certain playfulness. Using everything from steel chai cups to 100-year-old wood, Betancourt's works have been featured everywhere from restaurants to apartments to most recently the Prague Biennale, and can be found in Mumbai at Le Mill. He spoke to us about living in this chaotic and colourful city.
How would you describe your furniture style?
My influences come very much from what I used to do. Like the workmanship of 18th century craftsman, furniture making in India is similar to how it was 300 or 400 years ago. The tools are basic, there is very little machinery, and everything is made from scratch. My furniture is about making quite bulky forms have a lightness.
Tell us a little about the craftsmen you work with
They are a team based in Mumbai but originally from Jodhpur, and the profession has been in their families for generations. The way it works is that there's a foreman and he has his team and they're all from his community. His team consists of 50 to 60 people but I only use as required so I only have 15 people working for me, half of whom are carpenters and half do the finishing. Everything is made in India. Nothing is imported.
Why do you choose recycled wood over new timber?
All the wood has been naturally cured of its water content and resin. Wood is quite a living being, so if buy new wood and put it in a dry environment it will crack, and put it in a humid place and it will expand. Old wood, however, won't move. So I use wood that has been naturally aged over time to prevent that from happening. In the 18th century they would let logs dry for 10 years in the elements for the same purpose.
Where do you shop for unusual finds in the city?
Chor Bazaar is definitely a good place to look, as well as local markets like Crawford market and bigger shops like Le Mill and Good Earth. Of course, I also go back to Europe to see what people are exploring there too
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travel 31 May 2011
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