Welcoming and cosy. That’s Bohurupi Santiniketan’s new studio in Graham’s Land in Tollygunge that launched a few months back. The man behind it, Roy Abhisek, who has restored an old house to transform it into his 1,000sq ft “studio-cum-workshop”, mirrors these much-cherished traits too. All those who know him, will know his great love for hospitality and a warm heart. He has now been instrumental in bringing together a host of designers from different disciplines for a collaborative space housed on the ground floor of Bohurupi Santiniketan, which opens doors today. “We are all friends coming together. I always wanted the space to be used by designers from various fields,” says Abhisek.
While it all started with Mitan Ghosh looking for a space for her flagship store, ceramic brand Phalu, jewellery label Jalshaghar_calcutta, upcycling brand Two&Half and Abhisek’s own Ikirmikir, dedicated to kids, have joined her for this experience. “The whole process was organic. Aesthetically, I love them all. If we don’t back each other up, how will we grow as a community?” smiled Abhisek. The Telegraph tells you what to expect.
Artist speak
“We are a brand bred in Santiniketan coming here with our first ever store, our unique handmade ceramics, ranging from art decor to crockery” — Phalguni Samanta of Phalu
“Jalshaghar_calcutta blossoms out of its cocoon to get a new address. Commemorating this momentous occasion, we set afloat a new range of silver collection named Amar Shohor Kolkata. In this collection you get the iconic structures, some sentiments that have a concomitant relation with the City of Joy. And, it’s special to share the space with such lovely creative people”— Sayak Chakraborty of Jalshaghar_calcutta
“Ikirmikir is a brand to celebrate our lost childhood, celebrating the age-old traditions of Bengal starting from kantha to kajal lata to kidswear. And, it’s a great feeling of having our first space with such talented people around” — Roy Abhisek
“I am showcasing a wide range of heirloom Benarasi silk saris for all age groups. Yes of course it is a great feeling to showcase with a bunch of like-minded friends and labels. Every day will be a celebration with them. The energy around feels fresh and vibrant and I am loving it” — Mitan Ghosh
“This brand is a story of the fighting spirits of the jobless and their way of inspiring women to be strong, bold and beautiful. We hope to make women be themselves. We bring to notice that fashion can also be created with things that aren’t so valuable and at times even discarded”— Kaushik Das and Priyanka De of Two&Half