This is the story of a young and passionate designer. Apart from being a creator himself – Bhavya Gupta works with skilled and traditional craftspersons – by not just discovering their craft but also guiding them on how to preserve tradition and market it to today’s consumers.
But to begin from the beginning.
Young Bhavya’s father had a job that took him to remote parts of the country to work on power projects. Living close to and sometimes in villages – Bhavya saw rural artists and craftspersons working on their craft from very close quarters. He was thus able to imbibe not just their quality and workmanship but also how their craft was their life. It also helped his parents were also artistically inclined and given to creating a tasteful home space wherever they went.
He completed a course in accessory design from the National Institute of Fashion Technology ( NIFT ), with flying colours – winning awards in excellence for :
– Most exemplary application of the design methodology – Extra-ordinary academic performance – Best graduation project
Reminiscing about his award winning graduation project- Bhavya shares details of his collection of toys created in the style of the “Channapattna” toy craft of Karnataka – using natural colours from vegetable dyes.
Post the accolades – Bhavya could have very easily settled down to an easy life in a day job where he could create and make products for the growing Indian marketplace. Perhaps the security and the routine was not something that made him truly happy. He resigned from his job of designing packaging for leading cosmetic brands – and returned to his roots in Dehradun. He decided to put his learnings and his passion to work – and set up the Enoy Design Studio.
‘Enoy’ is one of the 108 names of the sun. As a concept handicraft design studio – it creates original designs from rare, little-known and traditional craft forms. It is space where the master craftsperson and designer come together to create a confluence of uniquely designed products.
It all sounds simple – but it does not happen easily. The painstakingly involved person that he is – Bhavya travels to different and remote parts of the country, searching for traditional craft forms and skilled craftspersons who create it. He actually lives in villages, researches the forms, understands its usages and potential and only then undertakes a collaborative design process with the creators.
Our featured collection of Bhavya’s work includes home decoratives crafted in wood – but with the traditional ‘Tarqashi’ inlay work in brass – to give it a uniquely different effect. This is a combination of work from Uttar Pradesh and Kashmir. The work is detailed and painstaking and cannot be rushed. The collection also features decoratives using wood turnery and lacquer craft from Madhya Pradesh.
A quirky sense of humour and great attention to detail can be seen in Bhavya’s product designs and the names he has given them.
For instance – “Babui Baadi” is inspired by the most artistic, hardworking and intelligent bird Baya-the weaver bird – who is known for amazingly formed nests woven from leaves and twigs.And so you have a similarly shaped lamp in sheesham wood created using lacquer craft.
Then there is the “ Baabu Gang ” – a set of elephant coasters made using the ancient craft form of Tarqashi, by inlaying brass metal wire in sturdy wood. The form and design exudes the confidence and calmness of elephants. This herd of elephants are led by their leader – “Baabu Bhai” who wears a toe ring !
Looking ahead in to the future – Bhavya seeks to diversify and expand his portfolio of craft styles and products – to cater to changing and demanding Indian consumers. He remains committed to marrying the traditional with the contemporary and giving it a new and fresh lease of life in the process.
Enjoy discovering traditional craft in a new and fresh “avatar” – with Bhavya and his team at Enoy Design Studio.