Founder-Chairman Mr Neville Tuli’s vision for placing the arts and its creative value system at the heart of India’s developmental framework is the guiding and motivating force which has taken Osian’s work and projects forward. Today, no art or cultural institution of international repute exists in India, which attracts on a daily basis the finest minds of the world or continually creates cutting-edge research and projects and at the same time is financially self-sufficient.
This vision has led Osian’s to systematically venture into diverse areas in the art and cultural world, steadily building a strong infrastructural base. The Osian’s Publishing & Design House which will house the Merchandising Sub-division is yet another brainchild of Mr Tuli. As Osian’s is growing as an organization, it was very strongly felt that the time is right for the Merchandising sub-division to be launched so that the common man gets the feel of the Art and Cultural heritage through the Osian’s well-designed product range, which will try to re-sensitize public expectations for the product.
In the coming months, the Osianama complex will house the outlet for the sale of merchandise. The inspiration for the product line is from our very own Archive collection which consists of Art, Sculpture, popular culture and so on. Various event venues will also see event-related merchandise.
Objectives
There has been a wide divide between popular culture and ‘high art’. In keeping with Mr Tuli’s stance of ‘Swaraj for the Arts’, the following are the objectives for the design dictums of the merchandise:
1. Promote the crafts sector – to work with distinguished craftsmen and to provide them with various resources that Osian’s possesses. 2. Awareness of and respect for popular culture, a strong stance veering away from kitsch, and accessibility to high art. 3. Promotion of the brand value of Osian’s retailed products (signature products from Osian’s). 4. To create learning/researching products for Art students from Osian’s collection of Archive and Visual Library.
Osian’s merchandise will focus on quality and change preconceptions regarding the arts and our responsibility towards it.
