Culture, Memories And More: Vikram Goyal On What Drives His Passion

Designer Vikram Goyal affectionately recalls his childhood attachment to the elephant. “I was very fond of the French comic book character Babar written by Jean de Brunhoff,” he smiles. Lord Ganesha was also revered in the family. However, the strongest connection he felt was to a baby elephant that had been rescued by Goyal’s father from the jungles surrounding his native Dehradun and donated to the National Zoological Park in Delhi for safekeeping. “We lived near the zoo and would visit our elephant every two weeks.”

This spirit of conservation inculcated in him at a young age inspired him to take on his latest project. ‘Wrapped in History’ is the culminating showcase of ‘The Great Elephant Migration’, conceptualised and produced by creative conservationist Ruth Ganesh. It recently made a historic journey across the United States with the purpose of raising awareness about the shrinking habitats of this gentle giant. This leg of the project, curated by Goyal, brings together many of his passions – craft and culture, conservation of nature’s bounty, preservation of indigenous textiles and workmanship techniques, as well as his love of the elephant.

For it, over 70 handcrafted ceremonial blankets were created by 55 creatives including designers, brands and indigenous communities from around the world. These blankets were draped over life-sized elephants handcrafted by artisans from southern India’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve using the invasive plant Lantana Camara.

The diverse spectrum of participants in ‘Wrapped in History’ include the likes of Ralph Lauren, Sabyasachi, Diane von Furstenberg, Ozwald Boateng, Markarian, Collina Strada and Johanna Ortiz. Native American tribes from Navajo Nation, Osage Nation, Snoqualmie, the Maasai from Africa and others also contributed.

Going beyond their ceremonial importance as symbols of respect, these blankets will be auctioned and the proceeds earned will be donated to enable the work of over 20 conservation NGOs worldwide. “We were keen to advance the cause of human-wildlife coexistence, and this was such a fantastic way of doing it while showcasing the breadth and depth of Indian craft,” shares Goyal.

Looking at his decades-long and highly appreciated practice in design, one would be hard-pressed to believe that Goyal never formally trained in this field. An Engineering degree from the prestigious BITS Institute in Pilani and another in Development Economics from Princeton University, led to Goyal’s long stint in the financial corridors of the USA and Hong Kong.

However, his affinity for design was evident at an early stage. He recalls, “Even in college, my room was the most decorated one. The rooms of most other students looked like bare barracks, but I had miniature paintings on display, decorative lamps and lampshades and striking bed covers to liven my space up.”

Hence, upon his return to India in 2000, he embarked on a journey to practice and preserve the traditional knowledge of the country. He co-founded luxury skincare label Kama Ayurveda and opened his first design studio. Since then, Goyal has made a name for himself in the art of repoussé – a painstaking method of designing on metal by hammering it in reverse. Apart from this, he regularly undertakes projects to preserve Indian art, craft and design traditions that face extinction with the progress of time.

“Believe it or not, but the pandemic was really the catalyst for pushing my creative endeavours as a cultural ambassador,” shares Goyal. It was when he decided to re-launch Viya as a destination for lifestyle products which drew inspiration from elements of Indian history, myth and fables. It was also when he created the grand keepsake book, ‘Shringara of Shrinathji’, based on his family’s collection of original Shrinathji miniature paintings from Udaipur.

“My mother’s ancestor was the Prime Minister of Udaipur. As a great devotee of Shrinathji, he donated his haveli to the temple. In gratitude, the priests gifted him a beautiful set of 60 miniatures which have stayed in my family since then,” he says. The long days of Covid-19 lockdowns provided the perfect opportunity to ideate on sharing this rare and beautiful personal collection with the world through a one-of-a-kind collectible item.

He explains, “That’s when the penny dropped. This deeply personal and meaningful project inspired me to embark on a whole new path of discovery, affirming my commitment to preserving our culture. I was also keen to stay true to my design philosophy, in which I view craft as a form of storytelling and materials as the building blocks of memories and emotion. It’s very much rooted in Indianness in terms of the usage of material and craftsmanship, but is also deeply engulfed in an international design language. ‘Wrapped in History’ is an extension of this belief.”