Deciphering the design codes in India - trends and inspirations
Sunday 21 January —
15:00
- 15:45
The Talks — Hall 7
Description
Participants
Gunjan GuptaFurniture Designer & Founder - Studio Wrap & IKKIS
Aparna KaushikDesign Director - Aparna Kaushik Design Group
Mrudul Pathak KunduEditor - ELLE DECOR, India
Gunjan Gupta
Furniture Designer & Founder - Studio Wrap & IKKIS
Gunjan is a pioneer in the field of Collectible Design in India having accomplished various International milestones after completing her Master’s degree from London’s Central St. Martin’s College. She founded Studio Wrap in 2006, a luxury interiors, furniture and product design studio that focuses on Indian handicraft. Known for her playful approach and blurring the boundaries between art & design, her recognizable designs have been showcased at design platforms like Design Miami, Sotheby’s London, Triennale Design Museum in Milan as well as the Kochi Art and Venice Architecture Biennales. The only Indian Designer to have her works institutionally collected by major museums in the world like MAD Paris, Museum of Decorative Arts, M+ plus Museum Hongkong and most recently by the prestigious Vitra Design Museum in Germany, she has been included as part of Phaidon’s list of the world’s most influential designers in their latest book, Designs for Life. A strong advocate of Indian crafts Internationally, Gunjan curated Time-less, at Experimental Design Biennale in Lisbon followed by Vernacular Wonderland, an exhibition of contemporary Indian master craft at the Revelations Craft Biennale at the Grand Palais in Paris. In 2019 she launched IKKIS, a contemporary Indian homeware brand at Maison&Objet in Paris with an iconic collection of 21 objects crafted for 21st century living offering unlimited series of everyday objects with a collection of limited edition series featuring fantastical handmade objects made through equitable collaborations between Gunjan and Indian master craftsmen.
Aparna Kaushik
Design Director - Aparna Kaushik Design Group
“Clarity of purpose and simplicity are the essence of design. I design to accentuate the natural qualities of a space; amplifying its particular beauty through seamless functionality and unique form.” - Aparna Kaushik Aparna Kaushik is a leading designer of ultra-luxury estate homes in India. Her versatile projects span a comprehensive range of luxury lifestyle creations. Infusing her experimental processes with scientific clarity and pragmatism, Aparna creates exemplary spaces that range from awe-strikingly expansive to stylishly intimate. She is the founding principal and design director of a design-and-build firm that works across architecture, interiors, furniture, lighting, product design, and landscaping. She has handled a variety of projects including ultra high end residential estates across India and Internationally. Most sought-after for her unique balance of both aspirational design and precision, Aparna has lent her signature expertise to develop noteworthy projects; in particular, bespoke residential estates. She combines timeliness architecture with inventive interiors through a masterful attention to detail. Like any true artist, Aparna intricately handles every component of the design process from conception to execution. From furniture and lighting to floor plans and elevations, her creations are inherently cohesive. This philosophy of inclusive design integrates the client’s explicit requirements with their most subtle preferences. All of which, Aparna executes with an exceptional level of craftsmanship. Fascinated by art and architectural history, Aparna’s designs pursue a studied style fusion of both contemporary and classical forms. The resulting creations are visually striking as well as structurally innovative. Her partnerships with prominent International designers fuels a vibrant design ethos built on globally venerated standards and trends.
Mrudul Pathak Kundu
Editor - ELLE DECOR, India
A fine arts graduate from MS University, Vadodara, Mrudul has been part of shaping the magazine for the last 24 years. Her major in Applied Arts has given her a lifelong love for graphic compositions and solid colours. She heads content for Print, Digital and Brand Solution at ELLE DECOR. Interacting with the design community and producing house shoots are what she considers the best part of her job. When not busy with all things design, you’ll find her watching old art-house movies and enjoying a glass of single malt.