Showcase Highlights
At Design Democracy 2025, Baaya presented Under the Starry Night, a showcase weaving together the visual vocabulary of the universe and the textures of Indian craft. From dyed textiles that conjured midnight skies to copper enamel constellations and sculptural forms, the exhibition invited visitors to engage with the material poetry of the cosmos.
Main Installation
Under the Starry Night
Every culture has looked upward to find its stories in the stars. Van Gogh’s Starry Night immortalized that search in the West, while in India, the night sky has long been a spiritual map of gods, myths, and stories.
Van Gogh’s Starry Night captured the night sky’s awe in paint, while Baaya reimagines it through material and craft. Anchored in indigo, our signature hue and a legacy of India’s traditions, the mural shimmers with silver leaf that mirrors moonlight, beaten stainless steel that recalls shifting winds, and copper enamel forms that ground the sky with lived realities.
Supporting Artworks
Grounded (Left)
Concept: This grand mural spans 20×12 ft, weighing nearly 400 kg, and combines mixed media with traditional Indian crafts. It depicts a world where humans and robots coexist, with humans having bionic enhancements and forming emotional bonds with robots. The artwork integrates electronic waste, mirror work, and Lippankam, resonating with the IIMA’s architecture and the materials of tomorrow’s edifices.
Ocean Floor (Right)
A handcrafted seascape where swirling corals, resting shells, rippled sand beds, and drifting seaweed are rendered through enamel, wood, and metal. Light plays across the surface like sun filtering through water, creating a meditative, living tableau of the deep. Each material captures the rhythm and glow of life beneath the surface.
Design Narrative & Material Language
Baaya’s creation journey was rooted in dialogue, between dye, metal, form, and space. The shifting indigo tones were achieved through layered dyeing techniques, while copper panels were enameled and patinated to evoke stellar light. Sculptural forms acted as constellations, each with its own pattern language and rhythm. Traditional craft processes, enamelling, hand forming, textiles, were pushed into a new cinematic context, inviting viewers to read the sky through material.
Visitor Experience & Impact
As visitors walked under the canopy of constellations, many paused to tilt heads upward, tracing lines of light and shadow. The interplay between foreground textures and suspended forms created moments of surprise, a sparkle here, a hidden silhouette there. The installation became a gathering space for reflection, conversation, and awe. Multiple visitors lingered within the constellation grid for long minutes, often whispering interpretations.