A closer look at how Vikram Goyal reimagined de Gournay’s bespoke hand-painted wallpapers through his signature metalworking technique. This weekend, we witnessed the debut of a creative collaboration between British wallpaper maker de Gournay and Vikram Goyal, showcased at Goyal’s Studio in Noida. The collection featured gilded wallpaper designs, a compelling fusion of ancient craftsmanship and modern artistry.
One of the most striking elements of this collaboration is the use of the ancient repoussé technique, dating back to the 3rd century BC. Repoussé involves hammering low-relief designs into malleable metal sheets, a method traditionally used in India to adorn temple doors and ceilings with devotional imagery. Goyal’s workshop has long embraced this technique in creating furniture, screens, and objets d’art, and its incorporation into de Gournay’s designs offers a fresh interpretation of this historic craft.
“Repoussé work is integral to our studio’s identity,” says Goyal. “It’s a process that connects the past with the present, and it was important for me to place this technique in de Gournay’s hands, allowing us to breathe new life into the visual arts. From chinoiserie to Indian miniatures and Persian paintings, it’s about taking something traditional and reinterpreting it in a new, yet familiar, way.
” Rooted in a deep appreciation for history and culture, Goyal, a storyteller at heart, taps into India’s vast tapestry of myths, philo.