Kaarigari, led by Tanay Kandpal and Niels Nijman, explores questions such as how traditional crafts are adapted to industrial production methods, the role of technology in preserving or transforming craft traditions, and the power dynamics between artisanal producers and industrial manufacturers.
Unveiling Hidden Dynamics: Craft Preservation in Modern Industrial Contexts
Kaarigari uses the Indian steel tableware industry as a case study to explore the preservation of craftsmanship in a rapidly industrializing world. In India, mass production has sustained a market for artisans, while in Europe, the focus on exclusivity has marginalized similar crafts. This contrast reveals the complex interplay of market demand, cultural perceptions, and economic factors in shaping traditional crafts. Drawing from their experience in Eastern contexts and Western industrial ecosystems, they examine how traditional Indian craft techniques, particularly in metalware, have adapted to industrialization. The choice of studying tableware explains itself as it combines industrial and design principles. Which allows the duo to question whether industrial distribution is the only way to preserve traditional crafts and if the decreasing emphasis on utility in Western design signifies a decline in genuine innovation. Through experiments and collaborations, they aim to build an informed practice that challenges power dynamics and promotes meaningful engagement with global craft traditions.
About Niels Nijman Diffre and Tanay Kandpal
Niels Nijman Diffre, a Paris-based French designer, combines his background in product design with a research-driven practice, exploring the materiality of objects and their stories. Together, they lead Kaarigari, a project examining the intersection of traditional Indian crafts and modern industrial processes.
