How bamboo design is reaching out to rural India
One of the most inspiring stories emerging in Indian design is that of Bamboo. This however, is not simply a tale of designers creating cutting-edge aesthetically driven products from eco-friendly material; this is about a holistic approach to sustainable design that is empowering artisans in rural India to become self-sufficient.
In Tripura, a state in the north-east where bamboo is cultivated, young designers are coming up with simple products that minimise the use of hardware, are sourced locally and develop local skills. Rebecca Reubens, who runs social design firm Rhizome, which works with the Kotwalia community of Gujarat, has taken the project one step further by opening her own retail outlet, Bamboo Canopy, to provide a vital link to the urban markets these communities are so removed from.
The drive is supported by design programmes at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, which has produced a raft of designers in recent years, including Sandeep Sangaru, Andrea Noronha, Manali Beri, Rajiv Jassal, Garima Aggarwal and M P Ranjan, who are all innovating new techniques for working with bamboo.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
‘Type Archived’: a must-have manual for hot metal enthusiasts and linotype lovers
A new book provides a stunning visual tour of traditional typefounding and offers a definitive account of London's legendary Type Archive
By Anne Soward Published
-
Pierre Jeanneret and Edward Armitage: tracing design inspiration in Chandigarh
British designer Joe Armitage set off for Chandigarh, India, to trace his grandfather Edward’s footsteps and recreate a photograph of the latter’s ‘Armitage’ lamp. A trail of intrigue around its inspiration lay in wait, as he reveals
By Joe Armitage Published
-
Los Angeles’ best fine-dining restaurants
LA boasts a creative food scene driven by some of the world’s most innovative chefs. Browse the Wallpaper* guide to the city’s best fine-dining restaurants
By Kevin EG Perry Published
-
Pierre Jeanneret and Edward Armitage: tracing design inspiration in Chandigarh
British designer Joe Armitage set off for Chandigarh, India, to trace his grandfather Edward’s footsteps and recreate a photograph of the latter’s ‘Armitage’ lamp. A trail of intrigue around its inspiration lay in wait, as he reveals
By Joe Armitage Published
-
It’s the first-ever Design Mumbai: here’s what to see
At least 100 international and Indian brands will showcase at Design Mumbai, referencing India’s rich and storied heritage of craftsmanship and highly specialised craft clusters (6-9 November 2024)
By Giovanna Dunmall Published
-
Pierre Jeanneret’s Chandigarh furniture meets South Asian diasporic art in an unusual London exhibition
Rajan Bijlani opens a show combining Pierre Jeanneret furniture for the Indian city of Chandigarh with works for sale by six artists of South Asian origin – in his own London townhouse
By Dal Chodha Published
-
Joe Armitage's new chandelier and lamps are an enlightening take on a family heirloom
Designer Joe Armitage follows his grandfather’s footsteps in India, reissuing his elegant midcentury lamp and creating a new chandelier for Nilufar Gallery
By Cristina Kiran Piotti Published
-
Play on this silver ping pong in Paris' latest Olympics-inspired design pop-up
This silver ping pong room in the heart of Paris is the result of a new collaboration between India Mahdavi and Crosby Studios: come and play at Project Room gallery until 2 August 2024
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
India’s stepwells inspire Shalini Misra’s rug collection
Shalini Misra’s Stepwells collection of rugs for Cc-tapis is informed by the traditional structures, recreated in three designs
By Henrietta Thompson Published
-
At home with India Mahdavi
India Mahdavi invites us to her Paris and Arles homes, and tells us about her approach to interiors, the objects that surround her and what inspires her
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Pierre Bonnard’s NGV exhibition designed by India Mahdavi is a technicolour feast
Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi at NGV Melbourne is on view until 8 October 2023
By Elias Redstone Published