8 International Designers Who Are Inspired By India

Text by Sadaf Shaikh

They talk about Indian textiles, creative opportunities, and love for this dynamic country

5. TORKIL DANTZER
Founder of furniture store Prakrit in Pondicherry

Dantzer was born in Copenhagen in Denmark. Before settling in India in 2011, Torkil was managing development projects in China, Tibet, Africa as well as India. When he had enough of constantly being on the go, he decided to settle in Auroville. Soon after, the cyclone Thane hit the area and he got to cutting and curing wood of the trees that had been ravaged. At the end of it all, he was left with a large amount of wood at his disposal along with the vision of a furniture production unit.

1. On Indian elements that entice him “The complexity, colours, scents and generosity of the people in this country struck a chord with me. I plan trips back to Europe now and then, but it gets boring and predictable all too soon and I find myself craving the heady familiarity of India.”

2. On choosing India of all places “India is a dynamic country which continues to astound me because of the smorgasbord of cultures that coexist harmoniously. That being said, I wouldn’t want to live in the bigger cities – Auroville has my heart already.”

3. On his clientele “My products are for the discernible consumer who is looking for high-end products at practical prices. I’m aware that business may take a beating when Ikea rolls in, but I’m also confident that handcrafted products in pure wood will always find their niche.”

4. 3 adjectives that describe his brand “Sustainable, natural and handcrafted.”

5. On his inspiration “A lot of my designs are actually tree barks in their untouched form, so my inspiration comes from nature itself. Planks with their root ends intact show the life cycle of a tree which I think is very attractive. I’m also currently besotted with this Japanese technique where you burn the surface of the wood and then polish it. It leaves you with pure carbon which has the deepest shade of black and never fades.”

6. On future plans “We are getting more ingenious with our experiments and constantly pushing our limits. Currently, we are developing a chair in laminated wood which will be extremely light.”

7. On his favourite moment in India “India is the kind of country that takes your breath away on a daily basis. Some of my favourites are: a boat ride in Varanasi, prancing around the tea plantations in Munnar, strolling in the deserted town of Lakhpat in Gujarat and sauntering down the beautiful beaches of Andaman. The art biennales in Fort Cochin have impressed me and I am looking forward to visiting again this month.”