About Phantom Hands

Phantom Hands is a dynamic workshop of skilled carpenters, wood finishers, cane weavers and upholsterers from all across India, dedicated to reviving and reinventing Indian Modernism through an unrelenting commitment to fine Indian craftsmanship. Each of their pieces is made by hand, using traditional hand tools, and the nuances and details that make these designs exceptional draw on generations of knowledge and expertise.

In 2015, the Phantom Hands workshop was started by its founders, Deepak Srinath and Aparna Rao, to create re-editions of the designs of Pierre Jeanneret and others which were designed for the Chandigarh project in the 1950s.  This first collection, Project Chandigarh, includes these faithful re-editions and has grown in the ensuing years to also include examples of the original designs incorporating new fabric and wood finish choices for the contemporary market.

Since 2017, Phantom Hands has collaborated with contemporary designers such as INODA+SVEJE, x+l, Derek Welsh, Padmaja Krishnan, Klemens Grund, Nityan Unnikrishnan, Felix Pfäffli and others to create collections of original design.

These collections draw inspiration from the form and philosophy of Indian Modernism that originated in Chandigarh, and an exploration of the possibilities that traditional Indian craft offers. Phantom Hands is now a craft collective of nearly 100 artisans who specialize in carpentry, cane weaving, upholstery work, and wood finishing.