• Ajay weaves furniture using forms dictated by the behaviour of his materials
• He collaborates with artists whose designs he brings to life at Cane Concept
• His passion is sharing his craft with members of his Indigenous Adivasi community

Ajay Gour belongs to an indigenous Adivasi community that migrated to Nagaland from the lush tea gardens of neighbouring Assam. He learned cane weaving from a master, a craft handed down to him from his father, who himself learned it in the 1940s, when handcrafted cane furniture defined the classic verandah look. In the late 1990s, Ajay joined a workshop as an apprentice, learning all he could on the job. Since then, his journey has been rooted at the Heirloom Naga Centre, where he shapes rattan and cane into contemporary pieces for the cultural centre's creative outlet, Cane Concept. Ajay’s works showcase his materials' natural knots and colours, preserving the traces of his making process. "I regularly encourage members of my community to take up weaving and build steady lives from the craft I love," he shares.