It was while studying Asian Art History at SOAS, University of London that owner of Gallery Cafe, Supriya Lahoti, thought of creating a distinct space where functional and wearable art could be sold. And that’s what led to the unveiling of Creatif recently, an outlet which offers home décor, jewellery, wellness, fashion accessories, vintage collectibles and stationery created by some of the most famous contemporary artists and designers from the country.
As you walk into the store, located above Kalakriti Art Gallery in Banjara Hills, you can spot scarves from Sushma Thota's collection, ‘Vermillion Series by Golden Parrot,’ which draws inspiration from her father-in-law, artist Thota Vaikuntam's work. Also, you might want to check out the USB pens by acclaimed Shantiniketan-based artist, Jogen Chowdhury.
“The interiors are designed with minimalist aesthetics, with a background of grey and gold and spans over 1,500 sq. feet.,” informs Supriya, sharing, “I handpick every product displayed on our shelves along with merchandiser Madhulika (Jhawar) who helps me curate and source.” Young, city-based artist Priyanka Aelay, painted a set of two wooden stools, curated by Supriya. Creatif also has a section dedicated to pop-ups by artists and the one in focus for the month of November is none other than Vaikuntam, one of the most revered painters from the city. What one can opt for, from his collection are painted scarves in silk. The other label to look out for is Moha by Geetanjali. Her silver tribal jewellery focuses on old, forgotten designs from the rich past of Indian traditional jewellery. Her present collection is inspired by the ancient culture of Harappa, hence expect bugdis (traditional ear ornaments worn by Maharashtrian and North Indian women) as well as nose pins.
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Some of the other attractions presently available at the store include Hyderabadi artist Surya Prakash’s artworks, stationery and home décor under both the collections at Kalakriti Archives. In the crockery section, there is crockery by Mumbai’s ceramic artist, Khushboo Madnani. She specialises in dinnerware made on the potter’s wheel. If you are looking out for gifts, then organically made wellness products by Indian actress and singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi and upcycled notebooks by Paromita Banerjee are likely to please your pals who treasure organic and eco-friendly products.
Rs 150 onwards.