On a chilly January evening, the Living Traditions Centre at Bikaner House was filled with a warm glow — floor lamps in sinuous forms, candle stands shaped like a banyan tree and hanging lights imitating a lily flower climber created an inviting ambience. Inside the hall, which was nonetheless a chamber of endless imagination — cane peeled from the bark of rattan plant was knotted carefully into a feather-light sofa, metals like brass, bronze finished with assorted patinas were shaped like a flower vase, and screen printing technique created an exuberant pattern of botanicals on table cloths.
These were some of the home accessories and collectible design masterpieces by globally renowned designer Vikram Goyal exhibited at the launch of his lifestyle brand Viya in Delhi. “Viya is a lifestyle and contemporary design brand for home décor and gifting. It is a contemporary expression of Indian craftsmanship. We work with a number of crafts, metal, block printing, embroidery, screen printing, cane, rope, etc. Every product has an Indian narrative linked to myths, landscape, architecture, culture,” said Goyal during our walk-through.
When the collectible design market was new to India in the 2000s, Goyal was an early starter. He returned to India in 2000 — with a degree in engineering and economics — not to chart a career in finance, but rather in design. He set up his eponymous design studio for the love of Indian metalware and crafts. Since then there has been no looking back. Last year, Goyal collaborated with the luxury wallpaper brand de Gournay, displayed at PAD (The Pavilion of Art and Design) London, Milan Design Week and will now showcase at the India Art Fair next month. TMS spoke to the Delhi-based designer on the launch of Viya, and what make his designs local at heart yet global in appeal.
The India inspiration
Viya’s display had various lifestyle products such as coffee tables, sofas, ottomans, lighting, tables, mirrors, textiles like beddings and more. However, it was their atypical abstract form and an inspiration rooted in India that beckoned a long intended gaze.
A corner devoted to ‘The India Edit’ was a case in point. It had a Leophant Trinket Box in brass embedded with semi-precious Malachite stone and a carving of Gajasimha — a mythical cross between a lion and an elephant which is perceived as a guardian in Hindu and Buddhist culture.
Further, opulent brass-made marigold candle stands in shining green, red, blue, and white colours with Malachite, Lapis Lazuli and Red Jasper were there to beautify any corner with its opulent jewel tones.
“It is inspired by the Pichwai paintings and the bountiful essence of India’s flora and fauna. We have used stones like Malachite, Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Agate, Marble, and Onyx in the creations which add depth and striking colour to the pieces,” Goyal added. We moved a little ahead and a set of ornate brass thalis depicted life at the city of Nathdwara in Rajasthan with images of cows, tropical plants, tumbling clouds, and lakes carved on them. There were also products taking inspiration from North East India’s mastery in bamboo weaving and cane work as seen in trolleys, sofa sets, and chairs. “Each piece is a confluence of art, design and functionality. The designs aim to bring joy and meaning into the heart and home,” Goyal said.
A melange of crafts
Goyal works with several crafts — from casting that transforms molten metal into a specific shape, Italy’s pietra dura also known as Parchin Kari in the Indian subcontinent where polished coloured stones are inlaid in masterpieces, repoussé where metal is embossed by hand, and bamboo weaving which is known for its eco-friendliness. However, he has a particular fascination for brass in a gold-loving country. “The look and feel of gold have been replicated through brass since ancient times making it is an old traditional material. Brass has been used for ritualistic vessels, for surface decoration in pillars at temples, and palaces. Also, it is much more malleable and versatile than other metals. There were already artisans who knew how to work with brass in our country. I wanted to teach them a modern design language,” he said about working with brass artisans from Delhi.The repoussé is also integral to his work.
“It involves hammering low-relief designs into malleable brass sheets while being supported on a bed of wax known locally as Raal. It is an ancient technique that has endured the test of time through intergenerational knowledge amongst artisan communities,” he told, pointing to an Indian pantheon of gods and goddesses made using it.
We also came across a set of bejewelled objects like bowls, candle stands, and tables from his ‘Zodiac’, and ‘Alta’ collections. They feature a myriad of stones inlaid in brass done through pietra dura. “The pietra dura craft travelled from Rome in the 16th century and found a new life in India.
You can find it in The Taj Mahal; its calligraphic facade and floral blooms are so prolific that they adorn our memory. Each was made with precious stones, including Lapis Lazuli, Onyx, and Turquoise. As with most craft, its evolving nature leads us to the present, and our studio innovation continues to find new frontiers,” he said.
Goyal’s upcoming India Art Fair show will display ‘Garden of Life’, a massive multi-panel wall mural and ‘Shaded Graphite’ collection consisting of brass-made cabinets, mirrors, and consoles amongst others. He thinks that India’s collectible design market is poised for “significant growth” in the next five years, driven by increasing demand for rare and unique collective items.