The Kunj

The Kunj is a contemporary retail space where indigenous crafts and art of India find a home. It is designed to showcase the work of master craftspersons along with emerging brands in craft to engage with contemporary markets and audiences.

August, 2025

DESIGN & CURATION

The Kunj is envisioned as a contemporary space where India's indigenous crafts and art find a home, inspire and bring joy. Curated and designed by Cultre for the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, the project reimagines how handmade traditions are experienced in the present day. It is designed to showcase the work of master craftspersons from across the country while creating opportunities for emerging artisans to engage with contemporary markets and audiences.

The Kunj brings together retail spaces, immersive galleries, and demonstration areas that encourage direct interaction between artisans and audiences. It provides a physical and conceptual framework for India’s handmade heritage to thrive in the contemporary world, connecting design thinking with material culture.

Cultre’s role encompassed research, curatorial strategy, and spatial design, shaping an environment that enables interaction, learning, and collaboration. Using natural materials, modular systems, and interpretive storytelling, the space reflects the tactile and aesthetic language of the handmade. Every space, from galleries and retail spaces to installations, have been designed and curated to reflect the vitality of craft as a living, evolving tradition.

In keeping with the vibrancy of India’s handicrafts, handlooms and artistic traditions, the space itself embraces a rich palette of colours - an environment designed to echo the exuberance of these crafts and to celebrate their living spirit. The installations across the space, whether spectacular or subtle, were conceived not as decorative elements but as interpretive interventions that bring craft traditions into dialogue with the present. The KUNJ, is not merely a site of consumption but one of connection and reflection.