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M. P. Ranjan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

M. P. Ranjan
Born1950 (1950)
Died9 August 2015(2015-08-09) (aged 64–65)
Occupations
  • Designer
  • innovator
  • educator
Employer(s)National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
CEPT University
Ahmedabad University
Known for
  • Bamboo and cane toys & furniture
  • design education
Notable workHandmade in India
Bamboo and Cane Crafts of North East India
Spouse
(m. 1981)
AwardsKamala Samman Award with Aditi Ranjan

Mundon Pandan Ranjan (1950 – 9 August 2015) was an Indian designer and educator. He was a polymath, exploring various genres and methodologies in the field design innovation and education. Ranjan is known for his book Handmade in India: A Geographic Encyclopedia of Indian Handicrafts based on Indian arts and crafts that he edited along with his partner and fellow design pedagogue Aditi Ranjan.[1][2] He worked at National Institute of Design, CEPT University and Ahmedabad University.[3]

Life and work

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M. P. Ranjan was born in 1950 in Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu. His father, M. V. Gopala played a role in developing his inclination towards furniture design. He joined National Institute of Design in 1969 to pursue Furniture and Product Design, and went on to become a member of faculty at the Institute by 1972.[4][5] Between 1974 and 1976, he worked as a professional designer in Madras, and returned to the faculty of NID in 1976.[6]

From a ten year period of 1981 to 1991, he headed the consulting arm of NID and facilitated numerous collaborative projects between the faculties and corporate or government clients.[6] Since 1981, he taught core design theory courses which was named “Design Concepts and Concerns” which concerned itself with design thinking and strategising.[7]

Documentation and publications

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M. P. Ranjan studied the crafts of North East India, along with his colleagues Ghanshyam Pandya and Nilam Iyer and published the book Bamboo and Cane Crafts of Northeast India in 1986.[4][8]

Ranjan got interested in the craft documentation work in North East India, inspired by Aditi Ranjan, his colleague and later wife and took a trip to the North East of India 1978.[4] In order to demonstrate the role of bamboo as a sustainable craft and industrial material of the future, he executed numerous projects for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other Government agencies.

He also co-authored a book titled Handmade in India: A Geographic Encyclopedia of Indian Handicrafts (2009) with his wife Aditi Ranjan that was produced over five years, from 2002-07 offering a detailed documentation of India’s art and craft traditions.[9][3] The project was conceptualised by the Ranjans and involved extensive fieldwork across the country.[1][10][8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Aditi and M.P. Ranjan". www.platform-mag.com. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Handmade in India by M. P. Ranjan". Penguin Random House Canada. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b "NID design gurup professor Ranjan dies". The Times of India. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Kumar, Sujatha Shankar (14 August 2015). "A tribute to the design wizard". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  5. ^ 50 years of the National Institute of Design, 1961-2011. Ahmedabad. 2013. ISBN 978-81-86199-71-8. OCLC 871374480.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ a b "Ranjan MP | Ahmedabad University". ahduni.academia.edu. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  7. ^ May, Cheryl (16 October 2017). "In memory of MP Ranjan: The NID approach to Systemic Design". RSD Symposium. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  8. ^ a b "MP Ranjan, Design Guru". Outlook India. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  9. ^ Sachin (15 November 2020). "Professor MP Ranjan". Designinindia. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Ranjan, M P – Global InCH- International Journal of Intangible Cultural Heritage". Retrieved 10 August 2022.
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