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17-25 October 2026

stories through design

'stories through design' brings together creatives who refuse to separate making from meaning

Hosted by studio samayam

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Entrance fee

Free access

Event type

Exhibition

Accessibility

Free wifi available
Toilets available
Fully wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair friendly toilet available

Opening hours

11:00
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18:00
11:00
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18:00
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18:00
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18:00
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stories through design
stories through design
studio samayam
'stories through design' creates space for critical and inquisitive creatives that challenge common design and production paradigms and those who recognize that behind every design is a complex and intricate story of people, culture and land.

A collection of creatives

studio samayam - In traditional Ikkat handloom weaving, the shuttle carries the weft yarn across the warp, slowly binding single threads into cloth. The shuttle lamp by studio samayam embodies the story of the weavers village in Bhoodan Pochampally - a town born out of the 1951 Land Gift (Bhoodan) movement in post-colonial India. 'the story of privilege' installation narrates this extraordinary history of land, labour and shared hope through the commonplace and indispensable tool of handloom : the shuttle.

House of Thinai, a furniture studio-shop based in Chennai, India, presents ‘The Lambadi Lounge Collection’, ‘Trustfall’ and’ Timber Tight’. The Lambadi Lounge Collection translates the Lambadi community's intricate needlework into modern furniture design. Trustfall bridges the space between the gallery display and daily life, translating the vibrant, hand-woven Jamukkalam into a dual-state object. Timber Tight carries the vernacular intelligence of the South Asian daybeds into contemporary furniture design.

Fifth Origins - ‘What We Carry Forward’ explores how traditional craft knowledge can move into contemporary life without losing its roots. Across the Himalayas, Kutch and Bengal, Fifth Origins works with handwoven wool, Kala cotton, Ajrakh, Rabari embroidery and Kantha to create pieces shaped by place, memory and material.

Surmeyi - Belonging and storytelling are at the heart of everything we create at Surmeyi. As a jewelry and accessories brand, we create objects that evoke our sense of belonging, inspired from our own stories, of the people around us, the places that shape us and the cultural memories we carry. We believe it is these stories and a sense of belonging that connect us - that make us feel a part of something bigger than ourselves.

Ping Chen - ‘Thing in Itself’ explores how clothing can embody memory, identity and care. Rooted in memories of my great-grandfather, the project reconsiders masculinity through everyday gestures of care—carrying, embracing and domestic labour. Through tailoring and textile processes, clothing is allowed to become a material archive where personal memory and cultural narratives are continually reconstructed.

Cottage Disco - ‘River Finds a Way’ is a body of garments crafted using resist dyeing techniques. In an era defined by accelerated production and consumption, these handcrafted pieces are an act of resistance. Each textile is an exploration of resilience that holds the memory of its making, and of the artisans whose hands carry tradition forward with relentless spirit.

Ritika Kedia - For centuries, Shekhawati's painters have told the stories of wealthy haveli owners, but rarely their own. ‘The Artist Madhouse, Mandawa’ is a series of three hand-painted tables produced with artists Ashok, Suresh and Sonia in Rajasthan, who equip traditional motifs, primary colors, and natural stone pigments to depict their personal curiosities.

Studio Nuna - ‘Sitting with it’ is an assemblage composed of a found object and a bagasse composite, staged as a reflection and exploration of the history of the South African Indian community. By layering a local recognisable material of the past with the material of ancestral oppression it acknowledges that the community evolved past the sugarcane plantations and made its way into everyday objects.

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A. Shree Tej and Venkatesh Garu; Lambadi Chair
A. Shree Tej and Venkatesh Garu; Lambadi Chair
studio samayam, House of Thinai
Fifth Origins kutch artisan; Mango Bagicha
Fifth Origins kutch artisan; Mango Bagicha
Fifth Origins, Surmeyi
Companion Pants in Ocean; Thing in itself
Companion Pants in Ocean; Thing in itself
Cottage Disco, Ping Chen
Shekhawati painted furniture; Sitting with It
Shekhawati painted furniture; Sitting with It
Ritika Kedia, Sonali Bissasser

About studio samayam

studio samayam is an international design studio ( nl +ind ) practicing design research and narrative product design and development. we specialise in embodied storytelling through objects that are born from decentralised and decolonial design practices. this is achieved through close collaboration with generationally skilled craftspeople.

Colofon

co-founders of studio samayam Poorvi Garag and A. Shree Tej
Ikkat artisan for studio samayam Varkala Venkatesh Garu
Production Assistants for studio samayam R Sudesh Pridhvi, Ashrith Raj Neelam, Santnaman Matharu
Carpenter for studio samayam Hari
Sourcing and logistics for studio samayam Rajesh Naik
Co-founders of House of Thinai Sheikh Ahmed, Mano Ranjan, and Karthik Prema Rajakumar
Thinai Foundation
House of Thinai - artisan collaborator Porgai Artisans
House of Thinai - artisan collaborator Niroshini Suresh
Weaving Artisan for House of Thinai Kumar
House of Thinai, Media Content Mageshwar
Fifth Origins Fifth Origins and artisan partners across Kullu, Kutch and Bengal
Cottage Disco Abdullah Khatri, Abdul Jabbar Khatri, Moumita Guin, Shakil Ahmed
Ping Chen
Photographer for Ping Chen Yankun Long
Make up artist for Ping Chen Luca Wang
Artists for Ritika Kedia Ritika Kedia, Suresh Nayak, Sonia Nayak, Nirmal Rajawat, Mahesh Kumawat, Ashok Duggar
Support for Sonali Bissasser Suren Bissasser, Yadhya Bissasser, Lekhram ‘Sam’ Bissasser, Minawathee Sewlal, Renilla Rubynarain, Jay Harry Singh, Sugar Milling Research Institute NPC

Partners

Sponsored by stories through design
Sponsored by stories through design
Sponsored by stories through design
Sponsored by stories through design
Sponsored by stories through design
Sponsored by stories through design

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