This blog has analysed the emergence of the contemporary Indian limited-edition furniture design landscape and the events leading up to it. One of the key outcomes of this analysis has been the intertwined and co-dependent relationship between the designers and craftspeople. This alliance underpins the creation of this furniture, thereby revealing how important the sustainability of the craft industry is for this to be a continued partnership and highlighting the centrality of craft in this endeavour.
Most designers use traditional Indian crafts in their designs (Fig. 01). This becomes their unique selling proposition because of the covert Indianness that these objects represent. ‘Designers use crafts as tools of differentiation, to create uniqueness, to add value, to link to a sense of tradition, history and community. Today, it is the college-educated, professionally-trained designer who fills the gap between the maker and the market: their knowledge of urban lifestyles becomes the driving force for transporting craft skills into a contemporary environment.’(1)
Indian craft has a long history and has witnessed a pattern of rise and decline in the last three hundred years. Artisans and their craft have had immense value, flourishing through the patronage of wealthy empires and kingdoms, serving the needs of religion, and being an integral part of the village community. However, in the macro contemporary design-craft narrative, craftspeople are the unsung heroes of their craft. Jasleen Dhamija, a veteran Indian textile art historian and crafts expert who is best known for her pioneering research on the handloom and handicraft industry says, ‘when we think of craftsmen, we think of craft persons involved in a mindless mechanical activity’.(2) This thinking stems from the social inequality that is deep-seated in the Indian mindset, which completely ignores the fact that artisans have been steeped in their craft traditions over generations, so their crafts are ingrained in them. A process might appear mechanical to an observer, but it is a skill that can only be honed over time.
The Indian craft industry is at risk and needs to be sustained. It is under threat due to a combination of economic, social, and cultural factors. One major reason is mass production and industrialisation, which produce cheaper goods at a faster rate, making it hard for handmade crafts to compete in the market. Lack of proper marketing, infrastructure, and access to global markets further limits artisans' income and reach. Many traditional skills are not being passed on to younger generations, who often seek better-paying jobs in cities, leading to a decline in skilled artisans. Additionally, middlemen often exploit craftsmen, taking a large share of the profits while artisans earn very little. There is also a lack of government support and investment in training and innovation. These challenges together put the sustainability of the craft industry in question. Miki Desai, a renowned Indian architect, remarks on the critical importance of the craft industry, ‘…we have to look at the necessities and plight of the people, and, in forging urbanity, keep our Indian limitations, ethos, culture, climate, materials in mind, rather than creating symbols of pride, of falsehood. A country that allows its craftsmen to die, is going to die soon.’(3)
Research revealed that most craftspeople have come from generation of woodworking. An artisan said that he was the fourth generation in his family to work with wood.(4) Another craftsperson learnt from his father who was a woodworker, while some of them had not learnt from anyone in their family but had all tried their hands at making in their villages. These artisans are therefore the repository of hereditary skills and embedded knowledge.
On being interviewed, the craftspeople expressed considerable satisfaction with both their work and their professional relationships with designers. They were aware that the limited-edition furniture they produced catered primarily to a wealthy consumer base (Figs. 02, 03 & 04). However, despite their personal contentment, there was a unanimous sentiment that they did not wish for their children to follow in their footsteps. When asked whether their children would continue the artisanal legacy, all respondents unequivocally stated that they would not. It was also evident that the children themselves were disinclined to pursue craft as a career. Several had already transitioned into white-collar employment, and one artisan specifically shared his aspiration for his son to become a doctor.(5)
The reluctance of artisans to encourage their children to pursue craftsmanship reflects a broader issue: the perceived lack of dignity associated with manual and artisanal labour. While many artisans find personal satisfaction in their work, this has not translated into social mobility or societal recognition. As a result, they prioritise formal education for their children, envisioning careers beyond the traditional craft sector. This shift places the intergenerational continuity of artisanal knowledge in jeopardy, as younger generations increasingly seek non-manual occupations that promise upward mobility. This situation highlights a widening socio-economic divide between artisans and designers. Despite collaborative engagements, disparities in status, income, and recognition persist, limiting the upward mobility of craftspeople and casting doubt on the long-term sustainability of the craft profession, and hence its impact on design.
In designing limited-edition objects (Fig. 05), designers embed multiple layers of meaning, revealing their intent to contextualise craft and its shifting significance locally and globally. These pieces define a niche market that many Indian designers now cater to, drawing heavily on the past, brought to life through the artisans’ deep-rooted traditional knowledge.
‘People are getting tired of mass-produced products that all look the same and that everybody else has got as well. Where are the soul and heart in these things? Where are the individuality and the history?'(6) The products that are the outcome of the designer-artisan partnership have given contemporary design a unique form characterised by appropriating something new and merging it with something old and borrowed.
Craftspeople carry cultural capital within art and craft design ethnology and are thus highly prized. However, their standing is inferior in the design landscape that values productivity and efficiency of time. Regardless of this difference of perception, the contemporary engagement with craft is trying to produce a culture of design that is distinctive, and the success of Indian limited-edition furniture design is a result of this engagement.
In the current climate, Indian artisans face even tougher challenges because they are not part of the government’s help schemes. ‘Craftspeople remain invisible and therefore ignored—by the Government, by the media, even by those who used to buy their products. Outside the safety net of regular salaries or social security, they are helpless.’(7) ‘India has a substantial edge over the rest of the world because of its craft traditions. It is up to the designers to understand that there is a unique opportunity there and use it to India’s global advantage.’(8) Instead of crafts merely being used for their Indianness and cheap labour costs, they could be used towards building and sustaining a future for the industry.
In conclusion, the relationship between design and craft must be approached with sensitivity to power dynamics, lest designers assume hegemonic roles in an already class-divided society. While craft embodies a vital continuity with the past, its evolution within contemporary furniture design highlights a mutual dependence - one that must be nurtured through equitable collaboration and decolonised practice.
References
(1) Divia Patel, India: Contemporary Design: Fashion, Graphics, Interiors. New Delhi: Roli Books, 2014, p.169.
(2) Jasleen Dhamija, ‘From then till now’. India Together Newsletter, June 2003.
(3) Tanushree Ghosh, “A country that allows its craftsmen to die, is going to die soon: Architect Miki Desai,” The Indian Express (February 22, 2020), https://indianexpress.com/arti....
(4) Interview with artisan Suresh Swaroop in Parth Parikh’s studio.
(5) Interview with artisan Raju in Parth Parikh’s studio.
(6) Lisa Widén and Anna Irinarchos quoted in Sophie Lovell, Limited Edition - Prototypes, One-Offs and Design Art Furniture.Basel: Birkhäuser, 2009, p.65.
(7) Laila Tyabji, ‘Stand up for craftspeople: how to support India’s artisan community during the COVID-19 crisis.’ The Hindu newspaper, April 24, 2020.
(8) Interview with Tyabji in New Delhi, India.
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