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a. shree tej
leads studio samayam’s design and creative projects with a bold and experimental approach. passionate about blending traditional craftsmanship with diverse aesthetics, he pushes the boundaries of form, color, and materials that merges art, nature, and design.
poorvi garag drives studio samayam’s strategy and business development, strengthening its growth and presence. her expertise in fostering partnerships and positioning the studio within the creative industry helps sustain and amplify its impact as a dynamic, forward-thinking space.
philosophy
it’s time
it’s time for stories
it’s time for history
it’s time to provoke thought
it’s time for deeper connections
it’s time for a deeper sense of connection to everyday objects
it’s time to disrupt ways of making and consuming
studio samayam goes beyond an object in the traditional sense, we create for the sake of stories. we research our products deeply before creating and we are always working towards greater social, economical and environmental consciousness. we believe it’s time to disrupt the conventional and reclaim the narrative. through storytelling and thought-provoking designs, we create a deeper sense of connection with everyday objects. our mission is to decentralize creation, challenging the colonization of common design paradigms and foster innovation that inspires and empowers the craft sector.
how do we do?
we decentralize production capacities
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we create space for new (generational) knowledge to reach people
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we collaborate with artisans and craftsmen in our network in india to create these
objects
why do we do?
disrupting the value systems of product design/ objects to create value beyond cost
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it’s time for us to change how we live every day and listen and experience the world
around us
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many crafts systems and the practice of craft are depleting
who do we work with?
locals like tribes, artisans, weavers, craftspeople etc. to understand their culture and
handicraft
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we spend time with them at their home to understand the value system
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we work with generationally skilled humans who have perfected their craft and creative
expression
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collaborate with other designers internationally
who do we cater to?
socially conscious consumers
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the curious minds, craft, culture and traditions enthusiasts who understand the value
and importance of this craft
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the ones who want to empathize with the origin of craft and creation and the
continuation of it
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anyone who is curious and becomes part of our dialogue through our objects,
exhibitions and projects
manifesto
it was not only the land that was colonised but our minds, way of life, our art, creativity and design. the first industry that colonial oppressors fractured in india were the craft and industrial production industries. the swadeshi movement (1905 - present) - also described as the soul of swaraj (self-rule) - witnessed large scale boycott of foreign produced goods, largely clothing and textile during british colonial rule. during the swadeshi movement through the reinvestment by rich indians into khadi and gramodyog societies, cloth production started in every household at the community scale. not only were the foreign goods boycotted, but also the violence with which the goods were forced into indian houseolds - the violence that colonised our land. creation, self-sufficiency and beauty resurfaced in indian households and the creative industries once again realised their position at the crux of economic power, social status and agency.
today, design is still colonised and functions in dichotomies of competition vs collaboration, industrial production vs slow craft, full and perfect forms vs handmade forms, clean lines vs broken lines; the list goes on. with the recognition that creation, art, craft and design continue to sit at the crux of economic power, social status and agency, we believe it’s time.
it’s time for decolonising design, one product, object, process, system at a time. indian design has been and should be craft born, without craft there would be no design and without the right kind of design there will be no more craft. it’s time to unlearn the colonial design practices that we studied, that we worshipped and copied because we need more indian-ness in our homes, in our objects, clothes and in ourselves.
we don’t know if this is the only way to decolonise design, but we know that every object we design and project we undertake is changing the practice of indian design. we know that every sale we make changes an artisans life, giving not only them but also us hope about the future of truly indian design. we know that we want to take indian design beyond india and disrupt, decolonise and drastically change the narrative of what it means to practice true, proud and beautiful indian design globally.