Inside a Naga Furniture Studio Where Design Grows From Nature

[peaceful music] [leaves rustling]

[Ajung] Naga is more than just style or design.

It goes beyond mere aesthetics.

We believe that in order to be able to create designs

inspired from a certain culture or community,

we must truly own the indigenous way of life

and the traditions and practices of the specific community.

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Both of us come from different professional backgrounds,

but it's our love and our passion

for wood and woodworking and designing

that brought us here.

And to have a partner who shares similar interests

and values, it helped us to do something out of the box

and follow our passion as a team.

Our practice is totally immersed in nature.

We moved out of the city

and settled in the rural countryside.

The natural surroundings are the source of our inspiration

and also act as a workplace throughout every season.

[hammer thudding] [peaceful music continues]

We use only locally-sourced materials

and locally-available wood.

Nagaland has rich forests,

which support a variety of timber species

for construction, for furniture, and for architecture.

[peaceful music]

Just as our ancestors lived a beautifully imperfect life

in the villages, every piece of furniture in their homes

were all made of wood.

And they were raw, pure, bold, and honest.

And these are the qualities

that we strive to represent in our work.

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[Atem] Our collection is not just a collection,

but every piece is something very personal

and special to us, as it captures our journey

and reflects stories, fragments of our culture,

and our rich Naga traditions.

So the Tashi Chair

is something which is very special to us.

We didn't design it just for aesthetics,

but this chair resonates with our philosophy

of sustainability.

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The Kurakli Wall Art represents purity and cleanliness.

Ku means hair, rakli means to tie,

hence the name Kurakli.

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The Millen Lamp is carved out of a single piece of log,

which would either have been burnt or thrown away

because of the cracks and the holes in the log.

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Working with wood has taught us a great deal about patience.

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We often say we draw inspiration from nature,

and this space allows us to immerse completely

in what we do.

Moving from the city to the rural countryside

has been the best thing for us, and we love our life here.

[peaceful music]