Southbank Centre to focus on contemporary Indian design

The Southbank Centre is putting Indian design high on the agenda of its Alchemy Festival of South Asian Culture this month.

Gunjan Gupta Bori Cycle Throne
Gunjan Gupta Bori Cycle Throne

To kick things off, this weekend it is hosting Indian designer Rajeev Sethi, who is currently working on the design of India’s biggest public art commission, at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai.

JIYO designs
JIYO designs

Sethi will discuss JIYO, the design-led enterprise which is bringing together traditional Indian craft and contemporary design in the rural communities of India.

In a country where poverty is rife but artisan skills abound,  JIYO looks to mediate between artisans, artists and designers to produce design-led crafted products.

JIYO designs
JIYO designs

The Royal Festival Hall foyers and shop will display and sell some of these designs over the course of the Alchemy programme.

Homewear by Indian companies The Play Clan and Happily Unmarried will also be for sale in the shop – products which again follow the craft-cum-contemporary formula. 

JIYO designs
JIYO designs

Meanwhile there will be a chance to see work by Indian designers Ayush Kasliwal – who makes fun utilitarian objects through traditional craft – and Gunjan Gupta whose lifestyle brand is founded on social and environmental sustainability.

JIYO Sungha Goddes Lamp
JIYO Sungha Goddes Lamp

Hopefully Sethi, who speaks at the Southbank Centre on Saturday, will mention his Mumbai endeavor.

Recently he told an Indian paper, ‘I am trying to make the airport experience memorable, to the point that people don’t mind missing their planes.’

JIYO Tholu Lamp
JIYO Tholu Lamp

The project, Liminus T2, is conceived as a liminal space where visitors can lose themselves in works which will represent the diverse regions and religions of India.

Mumbai-born artist Anish Kapoor, Riyas Komu, Bose Krishnamachari and Nalini Malani are among  the commissioned artists.

The Alchemy Festival of South Asian Culture runs from 12-22 April at The Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road SE1

Hide Comments (5)Show Comments (5)
Comments
  • Indian Fashion Designers November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Very much looking forward to Alchemy, it’s going to be a great event to showcase Indian Designers in general and of course Indian Fashion to some extent!

  • Aanchal Sodhani November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    The work of play clan and Happily Unmarried has erroneouly been shown as that of Jiyo – please do correct.

  • flights to Umrah November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first
    comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog.
    I will keep visiting this blog very often.

  • Gruhkhoj November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    nice posts….

  • pooja November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am
  • Post a comment

Latest articles