BLR Hubba’s design trail offers a peek into 17 studios

A series of talks and walk-throughs geared towards design enthusiasts has been organised as part of the 16-day BLR Hubba, a festival celebrating the art, culture and history of the city. 

Called The Maker’s Trail, it is conceptualised and curated by Manju Sara Rajan, an author, editor and arts manager. 

The Trail is currently in its second edition. The first, held last year, featured 11 design houses, while this time, the number has increased to 17. “It’s a rare opportunity for those interested in design to visit spaces like home studios, that are not normally open to the public,” Manju explains. 

On the first day, December 1, participants can visit the studio of artist and photographer Claire Arni. Claire will showcase a selection of her works and talk about her journey. 

Architect Bijoy Ramachandran will take the audience through the conservation and redesign of Sabha Blr, his latest project, on December 2. Originally a girls’ school under the RBANMS Trust, this once-derelict property on Kamaraj Road comprises two buildings. “I first visited the site in 2020. At the time, the building had been unused for 10 years,” says Ramachandran. 

In both buildings, which are around 120 years old, the roofs were damaged in multiple places, with moss and water seepage everywhere. “We redid the roofs, supports, flooring and windows. But we have tried to keep the original design and aesthetic intact,” he explains. The restored buildings will now serve as exhibition and performance venues.

At Kaash Studio on December 14, Manju, who runs the studio, will showcase Chettinad weaves, Bidri work and other crafts created from collaborations with artisans.  

Apart from art, architecture and photography, the trail also lays emphasis on decor, fashion and textile design. 

On December 9, the Trail moves to the studio of Small Shop, a fashion label located in R T Nagar. Designers Anshu Arora and Jason Cherian will talk about their work process, and offer the audience a glimpse into their experimental design aesthetic. “We have an artistic and whimsical approach to making clothes. For instance, if we are doing discharge print on silk, we try to experiment with the technique. If we are using a machine, we will incorporate some surface treatment on the fabric,” Anshu shares. The duo works primarily with natural fabrics such as silk and khadi. Participants can take a look at their artistic textiles, pattern books and fabric swatches. 

The conceptualisation, design and packaging of furniture will be the focus of the session at Phantom Hands on December 6. At their factory in Jalahalli, proprietor Deepak Srinath, will take the audience through their process. “People will get to know how we season our wood, when the wood is ready to be designed, the carpentry process and the weaving process (because we use a lot of cane in our designs),” Srinath explains. 

Some of the other sessions will be held at Tharangini Studio, a textile workshop in Sadashivanagar, The Vernacular Modern, a multi-disciplinary design studio on Rampur Main Road, and Olie Lighting, a lighting studio located in Byrathi.

From December 1-15. For details, visit makerstrail.blrhubba.in/home