Roots in Design

Works by grassroots innovators,fine artists and furniture designers were showcased at the India Pavilion of London Design Festival this year

One would think that pottery would be the only means of livelihood for Mansukhbhai Prajapati,a traditional clay craftsman from Rajkot,Gujarat. However,Prajapati has been enterprising and set up his first manufacturing unit for earthen pans and hot plates in the last decade. He has also invented a clay refrigerator that doesnt need electricity or any other artificial form of energy. The design is among those to be included in the India Pavilion at London Design Festival (LDF).

On till today,this edition of LDF has digital magazine India Art n Design join hands with London exhibitor Designersblock to curate the section on Indian art and design. This includes designs from grassroot innovators such as Prajapati,apart from furniture designers and fine artists. Savitha Hira,co-founder and editor of the magazine,stresses that rarely have so many Indian participants collectively showcased their range of design products at the festival.

Apart from the refrigerator,other designs shown under the aegis of the government-run National Innovation Foundation include a pressure cooker turned into a coffee maker,eco-friendly and non-toxic toys and a solar mosquito destroyer, she says,adding that the Indian designs are being exhibited at Londons Southbank Centre.

Hira says that when the invitation for the India Pavilion arrived in June,they didnt have enough time to call in as many entries as they would have liked to. Ensuring that products were ready to be shipped by first week of September meant we had to work with designers who were ready with their range, she says.

The furniture segment was represented by Asad Firdosys designs in teak,including sari-clad chairs called Bharatnatyam; Lalit Hiras folding chair and a footstool; and Yamin Mohiuddins concept table called Peacock Console. The artists Eknath Giram,Sanjay Raut,Arun Awasarmol,Sangeeta Babani and Ramesh Deshmane on the other hand,have worked on subjects ranging from Krishna to Bal Bhikshuks and abstract themes, Hira says.

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