Gandhian design
HARDIK GANDHI TELLS US ABOUT THE DIVERSE INFLUENCES ON HIS WORK — AND THE PHILOSOPHY THAT UNDERLIES IT
Timeless yet trendy, conservative but cuttingedge, quirky and rigorous yet elegant and relaxed — these conflicting elements are immediately evident in the work of Hardik Gandhi. An NID-Ahmedabad graduate, he started his multidisciplinary studio Design Gandhi in 2011 and within just four years, he has built a portfolio that encompasses everything from consumer utility to bookshelves, car accessories to home furnishings.
Hardik — who works extensively with metal and wood — tells us that his fascination for creating products came about because he was “terrible at studies”. “I would spend my time watching TV and enjoying shows through which I could learn how to build, re-assemble, repair and create new things. I loved getting my hands dirty in trying out processes to develop objects. I think that’s where I got the confidence and expertise in assembling products and taking them apart. When I grew up, I thought that I should take up my passion more seriously and NID happened. Industrial design reflected my interests most. And although my parents had aspirations for me, they never forced me to conform to the doctor-engineer norm. They were cool with my career choice,” says Hardik, of his early journey.
With a futuristic approach towards creation, Hardik is known for translating ideas into real products, placing them into spaces and environment that are aesthetically pleasing and at the same time, ensuring its utility. Indeed, functionality is central to Hardik’s work. “For me, a design has to serve some function or purpose,” he explains. “The designer has to create products according to people’s desires and imagination and at the same time, keep in mind that the object must be an expression of society in its current period too. In a sophisticated society like Europe, we need objects which move further and further away from basic, functional needs — objects which correspond to our identity. But in a country like India where space is one of the biggest constraints, objects have to communicate a message about who we are, and be multifunctional as well.”
This principle reflects in his project “xcent”, a contemporary avatar of the ubiquitous Indian cane “moda”. With its distinctive circular X-shaped structure, “xcent” is a multi-functional stool, which works as a seat, side-table and footrest. It won the EDIDA award and has been showcased at Ambiente 2013 at Frankfurt, the IIID-DesignShowcase, Museum of Memories by Godrej India Culture Lab and several other exhibitions across India.
Hardik is highly influenced by the work of Scandinavian designers. “I love exploring numerous other cultures and traditions. Scandinavian designs are so carefully crafted and with such scrutiny that it’s impossible not to fall in love with them. They can be confusing, yet remain utterly desirable. I’m fascinated by things that are delicate and also when there’s a balance between how something looks and how it functions. I also love IKEA, Jasper Morrison and Charles and Greene designs. From India, I am really influenced by the designs of Gajanan Upadhyay. He is my teacher and mentor,” he says.
His studio comprises four members who look into different segments of products, designs, communication, marketing etc. He calls his team “young, restless and love taking up challenges”. They all want to experiment with fabrics in their designs too. “Metals and woods are our primary focus for now as it is locally available and easy to give a shape to. We also prefer them more because of the durability and cost factor of these materials. Within fabrics, I would love to explore khadi since I like the texture. The entire philosophy behind the fabric too attracts me to a great extent. Also my surname is Gandhi. So I kind of feel that I have to live up to it!” he laughs.