Redefining Design

Hailing from Assam, Ranjan is a talented furniture designer who has even been on the ‘Forbes India 30 under 30’ list

- Meeta Borah

When we think of ‘design’ we tend to associate it with clothes or graphics, we rarely think of furniture, but young Ranjan Bordoloi has made a name for himself in the field of design by making furniture that is modern yet traditional, aesthetic yet functional. He is the founder and creative director of Studio Bordoloi, which is an interdisciplinary design research studio. Their focus is on living, space design, materials and manufacturing (both industrial and traditional craftsmanship).

Since its launch four years ago, the studio has showcased work globally at major design exhibitions such as Milan Furniture Fair, London Design Festival, Ambiente Frankfurt, India Design ID, among others. The studio has also collaborated with reputed organisations such as Godrej Design Lab Mumbai, Italian furniture giant Cappellini and Create Culture UK, and more. In fact, in 2017, Ranjan was the only Indian to walk away with two awards in the furniture category in Red Dot Design Awards, held in Singapore. He is currently teaching at NIFT Shillong as a visiting faculty. We find out more about the creative mind and his journey so far.

Tell us a little about yourself

I grew up in Morigaon, in a small village, where as a boy, my imagination was sparked by the local tradition of making things by hand. At a very young age, I realized my inclination towards drawing, sculpture and other forms of visual arts. I was average in studies. It would be such a cliché to say that I was very passionate about drawing but I do remember sketching during classes and at home, on all my textbooks and notebooks. I would do it all the time.