A Talent For Crafting Spaces

Through Baaya Design, Shibani Jain combines her considerable experience in the craft sector with an innate understanding of interiors to help customers create their own little nest

- Shibani Jain

How did you become passionate about crafts?

SJ: I became passionate about crafts as a student at NID where I was studying visual communication. Professor MP Ranjan had an infectious passion for crafts. As the design process guru at NID, he opened up several students to the possibility of considering indigenous art and craft as a legitimate practice. He was one of the early influences on craft for me. When he taught me about the intricacies of handmade articles and explained their various interesting facets, I was hooked. The world that Indian crafts existed in opened itself up to me in stages. Every time I traveled in India I noticed that each region had something special to offer and I made it my mission to help uncover that. The realization that many of these arts and skills were languishing in dire neglect also served to build my interest and steel my resolve. The clincher was when Professor Ranjan gave me the idea for a dot com business that bridged the gap between the artisans and the market; the timing seemed ripe as I too was looking to start something new.

Did you pursue a career in the craft sector immediately upon graduation?