It takes a leap of courage to rock the boat, and yet, for Manasa Prithvi, challenging the status quo is simply part of the design aesthetic that drives Ira Studio, which she founded in 2012.
By infusing freshness into heritage and blending innovation with enduring craftsmanship, Prithvi’s studio’s furniture pieces express a unique culturally rooted modernism. What’s more, every piece the studio creates is also driven by a sense of responsibility in reviving the Indian craft industry.
Prithvi grew up with an inclination towards art and design; her house was dotted with for those simple pieces of pottery, brass and copper kitchenware, and beautifully woven textiles, and she would visit craft fairs with her mother, developing a deep appreciation for Indian crafts and arts. She went on to study design and marketing in London, an experience which highlighted the uniqueness of the Indian artistic heritage as well as its heritage.
Returning to India, she started her own design studio with an aim to reinterpret traditional designs and create an identity for Indian crafts, naming it ‘Ira’ to signify “the essence of crafts through the materials that are derived from Earth, and inspirations and aesthetics rooted in nature.”
Accordingly, Ira Studio collaborates with traditional craftsmen who use natural materials, such as wood and metal are sourced locally from specific regions. ’Madras Trays’’, for instance, are made using strips of brass inlaid in teak wood. The characteristic patterns of traditional textiles mirror the aesthetics of the quintessential Madras checks prevalent in the south.
The benefit of this partnership is mutual; the craftsmen create décor pieces that echo the honest quality of handmade processes for the studio, while by employing the artisans, the studio contributes a sense of stability to the craft, helps artisans profit through their specialized skills and also fosters local industries.
Prithvi’s approach to design is testament to the times we live in: an extension of an existing tradition and the expression of a new one.
Browse Ira Studio’s collections on their site, and follow them on Twitter, and Instagram for more on their products and insights into their design philosophy.
Featured image source: Verve Magazine
Written by Nikhil Srinivas
