anda_ba founder Armaan Bansal has unveiled 'Borrowed Faces', a limited-edition jewellery collection and accompanying short film that draws on Indian masks, protective charms, and folk traditions through a contemporary design lens. Released after Bansal's Architectural Digest New Wave Awards win, the project reflects anda_ba's multidisciplinary practice, bringing together sculpture, jewellery, film, music, and performance while reinterpreting regional visual culture for a contemporary audience.
Fresh off winning the Architectural Digest New Wave Award, creative director Armaan Bansal has just launched 'Borrowed Faces', a limited-edition jewelry collection and short film under his multidisciplinary studio, anda_ba. The release marks another chapter for a designer whose career operates at the intersection of global contemporary design and regional heritage.
Bansal’s distinct aesthetic is shaped by a hybrid identity. Born in London and raised in Ludhiana, Punjab, his childhood was defined by constant travel between India and the UK. After graduating from the prestigious Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, he immersed himself in the high-end creative industry. Bansal founded anda_ba in 2024 to explore a contemporary Indian design language. The studio’s portfolio rejects traditional boundaries; Bansal frequently bounces between furniture collections, residential concrete architecture in Chandigarh, exhibition installations at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and even highly unconventional conceptual projects like designing a rocket intended for launch in the Mojave Desert.
The Borrowed Faces collection applies this expansive approach to wearable art, consisting of pendant forms that function as miniature sculptures. The pieces draw from the visual culture of Indian masks, traditional charms, and folk protection, blending those historical elements with the aesthetics of contemporary hip-hop neck pieces. True to the studio's fluid model, these jewelry pieces are being made available to rent for performers who align with the brand’s creative vision.
The collection is introduced alongside a dreamlike short film directed by Neel Soni, featuring a soundtrack by electronic duo, Baalti. The film explores a narrative of sleep paralysis, following a man who believes his protective Nazar jewelry has been stolen. He manoeuvres through a chaotic Baarat (wedding procession) to reclaim the ornament, with the architecture of the room acting as a stage for the performance. Through this dual release of film and craft, Bansal continues to challenge standard Indian design stereotypes, replacing heavy ornamentation with a minimalist, material-driven focus.
Follow Armaan's work here.
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