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ddw
oct 2026
eindhoven (nl)

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glue
sep 2026  
amsterdam (nl)

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raw collaborative
feb 2026
kolkata (ind)

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ddw
oct 2025
eindhoven, (nl)

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1m2 ddw curation
oct 2025
eindhoven, (nl)

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workshop - objects that define us at bangs festival 
sep 2025
amsterdam, (nl)

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ekchitra etikopakka craft project
aug 2025 - ongoing 
hyderabad, (ind)

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oscam group show
jun 2025
amsterdam, (nl)

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estd. jan 2025
nl + ind



























thefoundededit

naliya



inspired by kumbhar ismail hussain's story and dedicated to his craft, we reimagined the utilitarian form of the nala (chimney) into a light-source, allowing the same material that shelters and cooks to also illuminate. in the same format that it allows smoke to escape during the baking process, the naliya lamp shines light and brings the story of ismail hussain and his kiln to people far and wise. the naliya lamp is an ode to continuity, from roof to room, from craft to concept, proof that the same earth that builds homes, decorates them and can also shape our narration of these stories through our object tangibly.

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often met with a joke and a bidi in hand, kumbhar ismail bhai is a master potter whose relationship with clay has been shaped over generations. lodai, (in kachchh) a pottery village known for its cooking pots and fine painted vessels with more than 40 potter households. today kumbhar ismail bhai stands as one of the last full-time potters in lodai. alongside his daughter kumbhar jamila haji, his kumbhar wife fatima ismail, and his sister kumbhar meeriya alarakha, pottery remains a shared, living practice giving meaning, sustenance and being a beacon of hope for the village's rich pottery legacy. 


" jis tarah ek bache ka humein khayal rakhna hota hai, ek matka ka bhi khayal rakhna hota hai" 
(just as we care for a child, we must care for a pot).
 ~ismail hussain




 





















the nala (chimney) is one of the most important elements of the nimbhado (kiln). using two naliyas (roof tiles) that he crafted himself, ismail bhai ties them together in a conical format to use as an exhaust for the smoke generated in the nimbhado.
to bake the terracotta pieces, ismail bhai ignites a fire at the nala ismail bhai compacts the top layer of kachra (fuel) to ensure even firing mouth of the nimbhado using lightweight fuel. lasting two to three days, the fire is slowly guided towards the far end of the nimbhado where the nalas are placed.  the nalas allow the smoke to escape but the heat of the fire and smoke to bake the terracotta pieces evenly by ensuring the fire steadily travels from mouth to the end. three nalas are positioned at the end of the nimbhado are crucial to allow the heat to spread evenly and in a controlled manner. 
















components of the nimbhado: 

1.mouth : fire is initiated here 

2.terracota shards: used to cover gaps near mouth 

3.fine kachra: top most layer to cover any gaps and leakage 

4.kachra (fuel): mix of dung, twigs, grass (chunky in form) 

5.gunny sack: placed on edges of the arrangement

6.nala (chimney): placed for exhaust 

7.clay pieces: clay pieces arranged closely to each other 

8.wood: dried tree branches and twigs (usually wild babool)