Ranjan Bordoloi, the young founder and creative director of Studio Bordoloi, has been selected for the Forbes India 30 Under 30 2018 in the 'design' category.
Ranjan, who studied Furniture and Interior Design from IIT Guwahati, has been reworking on the revival of the ancient brasswork traditionally practised by artisans—a craft that has been continually obliterating from the Assamese society.
Bordoloi says he came up with the idea of using brass during his college days when he was exploring different materials and production techniques. A Pitoloi chair, created for his final year graduation project, won the Park Elle Decor Student Award, 2015 (the best use of traditional material). Showcased at India Design ID in February 2015, his work was also spotted by Giulio Cappellini, art director of Milan-based Italian design firm Cappellini, and he was selected to showcase at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in April 2015.
Earlier, at the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2017, Guwahati-based designer Ranjan Bordoloi was the only Indian to walk away with two awards, including the Best of the Best, in the furniture category. His collection ‘Pitoloi’ comprised small stools and a barstool, was made by cutting sheets of brass and given shape by wooden moulds, with the small pieces joined by an ancient floor-based coal welding technique.
Bordoloi was also one of the winners of the Godrej Design Lab 2016 competition where he won for his edgy Kaathfula chair, inspired by the shape of a mushroom.