M. P. Ranjan
Born1950 (1950)
Madras, Tamil Nadu
Died9 August 2015(2015-08-09) (aged 64–65)
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
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

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

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

References

  1. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "NID design gurup professor Ranjan dies". The Times of India. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "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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