Dashing is the first word that comes to mind upon spotting interior designer Vikram Goyal at the grand opening of the Nilaya Anthology space in India. He moves between the who’s who of Mumbai with the ease of someone used to commanding a room. And why shouldn’t he? After all, this is a man who has been instrumental in redefining the perception of Indian crafts and interior design.
Standing amidst his breathtaking pieces, which take up one of the large open-plan rooms at the space’s entrance, Vikram reflects on his journey with characteristic modesty and humour. “Like most Indians who did well academically, I went into engineering college and then went to study development economics in America – as all artists do,” he laughs.
But a six-year stint at Morgan Stanley during the dot-com boom left him searching for a deeper connection to his roots. “I found myself looking to work with something indigenous…and taking it to the modern world,” he shares.
That instinct led him to first co-found the successful Ayurvedic brand Kama Ayurveda, before pivoting again into the world of craft.
“I wanted to work with brass, because it’s such a legacy material,” Vikram says. “For me, what drives me most is the whole idea of revival.”
His eponymous studio has become renowned for pushing the boundaries of sheet-metal work – a rarity in a world in which most metal artisans rely on casting. “This kind of sheet work you actually don’t see anywhere in the world, and it’s because we have our own workshop… I am able to stretch, stretch, stretch what the perceived limits are because of this workshop,” he explains.
It’s precisely this commitment to excellence and experimentation that made him a natural choice to headline the new Nilaya Anthology space. “When I thought of Anthology, the first name I wrote was Vikram,” says Pavitra Rajaram, the design director of the space. “Every single piece is finished to such perfection… I wanted a designer whose work had that depth and that gravitas, and the cultural capital to sort of hold the space from India’s point of view.”
Walking through Nilaya Anthology, Vikram’s pieces command attention, mixing old-world techniques with a boldly contemporary spirit. “I grew up in Delhi and Rajasthan, which are really rich in deep visual culture, painting, art – and that stayed with me,” Vikram says. “The choice of gold as a colour and larger proportions… It’s very much about statement and experimentation. I love the modern, but I also love the representational, and I don’t apologise.”
For Vikram, India’s visual history is not something to tiptoe around – it’s a treasure trove to celebrate and elevate. “You have to teach artisans how to stop making wooden elephants,” he says with a smile. “Our world is that and this – how do you put it together and present it without being an apologist for it?”
Vikram describes the four distinct design languages his studio employs, each more intricate than the last. “There’s repoussé… It’s drawing in metal, and it allows me to bring to life three-dimensional forms,” he explains. “Then the brutalist technique – welding small parts together – and hollow joinery, where pieces look sculptural but aren’t two tonnes heavy.” His latest method, working with sheet and cast, embraces chance. “You put sheets in a bed of sand and wax, let the metal flow…and you can never control it. It’s letting nature take its course,” he says.
The opening of Nilaya Anthology and the launch of his new brand Viya are milestones in a career that seems to thrive on audacious pivots. “It’s true – I’d say the most audacious thing I did was during Covid, when I started Viya, the sister brand to my main line. I wanted to make things more accessible – still expensive, but accessible,” he says. “I’m using this barometer now – ‘Would I put it in my house?’ If not, I don’t make it.”
As India’s design scene gains momentum on the global stage, Vikram’s influence is undeniable. “I often say that he’s India’s finest,” Pavitra notes. “He transcends… You can take his pieces and put them anywhere, and they fit.”
At 60, Vikram remains relentlessly forward-looking, his ambition matched only by his deep respect for the past. “It took a while for us to get our confidence back,” he says of India’s post-globalisation design identity. “Hopefully, it will move towards a world where Indian design is celebrated alongside those from other parts of the world.”
In Vikram Goyal’s hands, that future already feels like it has arrived.
Follow @vikramgoyalstudio on Instagram
