Mature bamboo, when crafted, behaves differently from younger plants. “Much like people–don’t younger people react differently from older people?” says Idukki-based bamboo craftsman Rajeev VK.
Aged or ripening bamboo has done its job oxygenating the environment, “To put it poetically, at that stage, bamboo is smiling as it has completed its duty. I usually harvest bamboo at this stage, dry it for a year before working with it.”
His interest lies in creating utilitarian items out of bamboo, and his latest is an amplifier made of bamboo – a pocket-sized, eyelet-shaped hollow piece of bamboo with a groove.
Deep sound
One expects cables, plugs or inlet for a power source – there is none. Instead he slides his smart phone into the groove and plays a song, lifts it and then puts it back, to illustrate the difference in sound quality. The sound is indeed different when it comes out of the amplifier. Not only does it get amplified, it acquires depth as well. “The inherent quality of bamboo does that to the sound,” he says.
And of course, physics. He insists that it amplifies sound and should not be confused with a speaker. He has been working with bamboo for almost two decades and this, he feels, is among the best he has made for his brand, Wind Craft. Among his other products are coasters, trays, lamps and lampshades, napkin holders and other items of daily use.
Rajeev intends to market the amplifier soon. “It is environment-friendly, sustainable and organic, you don’t even need electricity. Look at the amount of e-waste that is generated each time a phone or a gadget is dumped... therefore a product like this will work.” Designing it took a few months, given his experience with sound and bamboo. “I had to try and work out the length of the piece needed for the right sound quality. I spent three-four months on it.” Interestingly it doesn’t have a single nail or screw.
His work with bamboo has been mentioned by the Beijing-based International Network of Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) on their Facebook page; possibly the first time INBAR named an Indian craftsperson. It usually only mentions organisations that work with these materials. “It is the equivalent of their journal,” Rajeev says. “The interest in bamboo has increased over the years and it has especially peaked in the last two years. It is no longer dismissed as a mere straw, it is seen for what it is–a magical raw material for the future, which is also good for the environment,” he adds.
Installation
- Rajeev’s wind-chimes translate the sounds of the forest. “And give a feel of the forest when one is far away. The sounds are a representation of the geography, one that I love and feel most at home.” Each chime is different, with a different quality of sound and name —‘candid wild stream’, ‘clear pond’, ‘the blue lake’, ‘a tropical river’ . “I have spent years fine-tuning my wind chimes and getting the sound right.” His first wind-chime, inspired by one from Bali, was the result of five years of experimentation and research, trial and error.
- He counts Susanth Satyendran, Head Centre for Bamboo Initiatives at the National Institute of Design (NID), Bengaluru, as a mentor and Filipino bamboo craftsman Edgar Balansi Banasan as a guide.
- Rajeev participates in workshops and exhibitions, to spread awareness about bamboo, “It is not about business or making money.”
An installation by him, the ‘Lotus Pond’, was praised by INBAR. For the four ft by three ft piece, he used bamboo and its nodes (as leaves) exclusively. The piece gives the impression of fluidity, without the stiffness one associates with bamboo. An art work, it can be mounted on the wall. Rajeev, however, is wary of being labelled an artist. “I’d rather be called a craftsman, it is simpler,” says the 42-year-old. INBAR also appreciated him for sustainable consumption of the raw material, a result of his minimalist design sensibility. He shows the foldable coat hanger, which looks more like a stick with a cord. Like the speaker, it connects to his interest in minimalism.
Working out of his home in Thattekani (Idukki), he designs and makes each of the pieces himself. He has a government license to source bamboo directly from the forest, and he picks and chooses his raw material. For the pieces that require younger bamboo, he buys it from the Bamboo Corporation. Mostly self-taught, he is an empanelled master craftsman of the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts.
He is also a craft consultant/design trainer and works with architecture. A diploma holder in Electronics, he never worked in IT, instead returned home to pristine Thattekanni and embarked on a career creating art.
Rajeev started as a artist, mostly drawing and working with clay, something he still does, and also turned his attention to bamboo. “I choose bamboo because it aligns with my principles. I don’t want my raw material to harm the environment. I insist it be sustainable, organic and biodegradable. I don’t use it indiscriminately…it shouldn’t be used mass production either.”
He wants to use less (bamboo) while adding more value – for example he prefers working with its natural shape thereby keeping wastage under check, “If workmanship and raw material go hand in hand, then the sustainable can be accessible too.” It starts with putting a reasonable price tag on the products, which is the only way it could become mainstream, he says.
(He can be contacted at https://www.facebook.com/rajiv.marur or rajiv.wind@gmail.com)
