MA Visual Arts: Designer-Maker
HAMMERED AND MARKED Reviving and reinventing traditional craft practices that are considered anachronistic, this collection of products synthesises Indian crafts with a contemporary design style - drawing inspiration from hand-beaten vessels in copper and brass. Collaborating directly with master craftsmen in Southern India, the products were handcrafted using techniques mastered over generations and finished in London, adding values of both classic and contemporary design making. Celebrating artistic intelligence, the products reflect the unintentional purity and restrained quality of imperfections that are inherent in the makerâs marks - idiosyncrasies unique to each piece. Intent on preserving and sustaining these craft practices, the project fosters sustainability and emphasizes artisans as creative individuals rather than skilled labourers. Inspired by the striking variability of handmade objects, this aesthetic has been extended to the product collection, creating every piece as a unique one-off where no product will be repeated in its design. ABOUT MANASA PRITHVI Understated elegance, restrained luxury, underlying functionality- these are the cornerstones of Manasaâs design ethos. An interior product designer and maker by profession, Manasa consolidates her education and professional background focusing on reviving the Indian craft industry. Manasa holds a Masters degree in Visual Arts from University of the Arts London. During her course, she turned towards entrepreneurship setting up Ira to create exceptional one-off interior products. She has a deep appreciation and value for the indigenous, unparalleled creativity of Indian crafts, fuelling her with a sense of responsibility. Adapting and developing these antiquated traditions with contemporary minimalistic sensibilities, Manasa combines the dichotomy between these two design worlds in her work. Obsessed with the creative industry in general, Manasa has a desire to explore and look for inspiration outside of her own field. She is constantly looking for ways to collaborate with creative people in pursuit of expanding her own creative realm.