Last week, when Delhi-based designer Vikram Goyal debuted Viya, a rebranding of his Viya Home label with a new collection of home furnishings and décor items, the opening exhibition at Mumbai’s Bungalow 8 could easily have doubled as a masterclass on Indian artisanship.
From metal casting and stone inlay to embroidery and block printing, the showcase was a potpourri of traditional Indian craft, all reimagined for the contemporary home. But what stood out among the ripples of beaten brass and sparkling semi-precious stone inlays was an elegant series of asymmetrical woven cane furniture pieces—chairs, a console, sofas, and even a warm, lightweight bassinet. The series was inspired by the spiritual concept of body chakras, but this narrative does not overwhelm the design—it’s more a piece of trivia you could share at a dinner party, as opposed to an obvious aesthetic. In fact, what’s most appealing about this series is how it transforms the breezy, tropical material into sleek statement pieces that could hold their own against the more typically dominating woods and metals of the urban home.
While the bassinet was a refreshing spin on the material, our favourite was the chakra sofa, which is as eye-catching as it is ergonomic. Essayed in this purposefully misshapen, undulating form, it could be equally at home in a Soho townhouse or a Goa Airbnb. “The technique is very traditional,” shares Goyal about the collection, “but our treatment is unusual. The West loves cane—but in India, people still associate it with beaches and holiday homes. We’re trying to change that and make it fashionable to use cane again.”
After brands like The Wicker Story, Cane Concept, and Phantom Hands, Viya is the newest design studio to reimagine the material in the sleek, minimalist forms that the global design market holds so dear. With this, the handcrafted material not only gets a makeover, but also encourages an ecosystem of artisans to experiment in ways they’ve never done before.
For more details on the sofa, click here
