Of all things bright & desi

When Bengaluru-based couple Abhijit and Amrita Bansod began working together in the year 2005, it was out of an innate desire to explore the myriad facets of Indian design. Fast forward to a decade and a few years later, the product designer duo is making waves on the international circuit — showcasing their lifestyle products at Tent London at the London Design Fair, which is a part of the London Design Festival slated to take place from September 21 to 24. In a candid chat, the creative duo tells us more. “This is a great opportunity to see how people would respond to hand crafted products from India with universal values of love and sustainability. It (the London Design Fair) has been a launch pad and platform for showcasing new design directions and trends. It’s a great feeling to be a part of a show, which will feature designers from India who reflect the contemporary design culture of India — something we wanted to achieve,” shares Abhijit. The event  brings together 500 exhibitors from 28 countries, including; independent designers, established brands, international country pavilions, features and exhibitions. Speaking of what they are offering, he adds, “Mubhi (the collection) celebrates the Indian aesthetic sensibility inspired by the Indian way of life. Mubhi elegantly fuses craft and technology to create storytelling projects that are beautiful yet functional.”

Despite individualistic design philosophies, Abhijit and Amrita have always found a way of working around their differences at their co-ventures. “We enjoy working together as our skills are very complementary. I love building design narratives and Amu enjoys converting them into tangible forms. Working together, our sensibilities fuses, technology acquires a soul, our products go beyond functions, they tell a story,” shares Abhijit, a recipient of the Young Creative Entrepreneur 2011 by British Council, Red Dot Design Award (2010) and Best Designer Award (2008). About what influences their design processes, Amrita says, “ I remember customising all my things with doodles or scribbles. Coming from a creative and artistic family, I was constantly exposed to various forms of art — painting, dance or music. I spent hours honing my craft. Also living in different cities through childhood, I acquired the flavours and variety and also realised how rich our culture and heritage is.” 

For Abhijit, it was a ‘create-ive’ instinct. “I was always a maker, and loved to create things. Unlike today, we did not have material resources or tools, but could improvise on a few tools and sculpt a form out of brick, wood, clay etc. My childhood was spent 100 percent outdoors; swimming in a lake, playing hide and seek in old British barrack ruins near our home.” Armed with an acquired knack of reinterpreting Indian flavours in design, Abhijit believes in the philosophy that blends handicrafts all over India to create artifacts that offer more than just solutions. “Indian design works as a reminders of how rich desi stories are, and how they can make our daily rituals joyful. I’m passionate about the wealth of detail that products with a historic perspective have. I am committed to form, function, warmth, harmony, uniqueness and poetic connection whether designing watches, sunglasses, furniture, trophies or lifestyle products,” he adds.