In India, there are close to 14-15 natural fibres that can be used to design functional, everyday objects. And until about a year and a half ago, this was a whole new world of information for Deepika Vijh, a 45-year-old, former media professional.
Vijh was looking for a change in career at the time. A chance conversation with a friend working with women artisans in Bengal, led her to starting Dharini, a platform to promote eco-conscious home-ware, sourced from and designed in different parts of India.
“For about two years, I just spent time understanding fibres,” Vijh recalls as she laments how in India, the art and design community don’t seem to recognise and utilise the potential of the many fibres found in the country. “Countries like Philippines and Indonesia are doing so much with their natural fibres, but we only find the one-off stall in Kisan Haat or Dilli Haat, and even those designs are stale a lot of the times,” she says.
With this in mind, Vijh — she spends time on design innovation with artisans across Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Orissa — is bringing Dharini’s products for an exhibition at the Aga Khan Hall. This is her third such exhibition, after one in August last year, and another in January this year.
Currently, Dharini uses nine types of reeds and fibres: bamboo, kauna grass, palm leaf, rattan, sabai grass, screw pine, sital pati, water hyacinth, and madhur kathi. Besides products like bread baskets, pen stands, file holders, and napkin rings, Dharini also lists floor cushions, whose internal stuffing too is kept to hay and fibre only.
“The feel of natural fibre really takes us back to the earth, back to nature,” Vijh says, adding that it’s “high time” we surrounded ourselves with more natural material in lieu of plastic or synthetic.
If it is maintenance that’s the concern with natural products — wood tends to expand and contract with heat, and dampness in the air can affect the longevity and shape of cane-made things — Vijh says the effort required is small. “If the monsoon affects the products, we tell people to brush it gently, and wipe with a soft cloth. Then, dry them out in the sun. But some material, like the kauna grass, is washable,” she says. They’re all water reeds, however, and require a good amount of sun to dry out.
With the upcoming exhibition, Vijh is introducing yoga mats, and chatai s to Dharini’s collection. She hopes to also expand into light fittings, while also looking at more fibres like hemp soon.
At The Aga Khan Hall, 6, Bhagwan Das Road, 18th to 20th of September, 2019; online at Dharini.co.in
