Bent By Design is the rather telling name of the Bengaluru-based studio that’s the creative brainchild of Yusuf Mannan, Hidish Salam and Kuldeep T. A multi-disciplinary practice, the studio has redesigned spaces for the Alliance Francaise Bengaluru, and technology giant Wipro, but its claim to fame remains the innovative furniture that the founders craft.
There’s the rocking chair-crib — which has space for both mother and baby — and the yoga chair that is all curves. There is also beautiful miniature furniture, all the details perfected on a small scale.
Kuldeep and Yusuf were fellow students at the National Institute of Design, and met Hidish a little later. They set up Bent in 2007. “Our early days were spent trying to gather all our capabilities and presenting them in alternative ways,” recounts Kuldeep. “Our very first breakthrough was an exhibition/installation which was meant to be a visual expression of the realities and context of adivasi communities. Our work included designing the exhibition panels, posters etc. A significant requirement was to design a knockdown and lightweight paneling system, as the exhibition was to travel to many different locations.”
Another significant design project saw them create a large mobile lamp in an institution’s foyer. The trio had to hand-beat large aluminum dishes to build the lamp shades. It was an important project because, as Kuldeep says, “We knocked on many doors, but finally decided to build the piece ourselves. That was when we realised the deep collaboration that existed between our individual skills.”
After that, there was no looking back as Yusuf, Kuldeep and Hidish took on varied projects — from furniture, installations, interiors, experiential spaces to décor products. “Looking back now, I’d say our design work fall under these categories: Space, furniture, installation,” says Kuldeep. “Every project is an opportunity to learn and we look for work that challenges us.”
In executing their projects, the greatest inspiration for the trio is the natural environment. “Nature’s remarkable creations never fail to fill us with awe. Our other inspiration is the phenomenal work of furniture designers like George Nakashima, Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Charles Eames. We are also influenced by the simplicity of form and function developed by the ‘Shaker’ community in their soulfully made furniture,” Kuldeep says.
With such myriad inspirations, Kuldeep adds that the design process for the Bent team is “organic, spontaneous and spiritual, till the time an idea takes shape into a piece of furniture”. The making of the piece is planned methodically by the trio, although there’s always room to improvise and accommodate new design details. Also, while the Bent workshop is geared for wood work, Kuldeep says they use different materials as per the needs of a design.
With three very different individuals working together, it’s a surprise that the Bent team reports never having faced ego clashes. “Each of us brings to the team very different skills and points of view. Our interests and aspirations are also very varied. But we understand that good design is a melting pot of diverse activities and ideas. We respect each other’s skills and capabilities,” says Kuldeep. It also helps, he adds, that “designing” to all of them means the same thing: “We believe that making something well is in itself, an act of prayer.”
