Meet the Maker: Sanya Bolia of Atelier SANYA

In Udaipur, a city shaped by generations of craftsmanship, Sanya Bolia is exploring what happens when traditional Indian techniques are given a contemporary voice.

An architect turned multidisciplinary designer and artist, Sanya is the founder of Atelier SANYA, a made-to-order design studio working with skilled local artisans to create furniture and objects by hand.

Her path into design began with a simple observation. Extraordinary techniques such as stone inlay, miniature painting and hand carving were often presented as traditions to preserve and admire, rather than techniques that could continue to evolve.

“I kept seeing incredible traditional techniques treated like museum pieces instead of things people could actually live with,” Sanya explains.

As a natural storyteller, she wanted to approach these crafts differently — using them to create contemporary pieces while allowing each object to carry a narrative of its own.

Turning stories into objects

Sanya describes her style as narrative-driven, rather than tied to one particular aesthetic.

Each collection can look and feel different because the story comes first. Inspiration might begin with a poem, an emotion or an idea before gradually taking physical form through materials and craftsmanship.

“I like to express things like poems or emotions in tangible form.”

This approach also gives Atelier SANYA the freedom to move between disciplines and materials while maintaining a recognizable philosophy behind the work.

A favourite piece

Among Sanya's creations, one holds particular significance: her stone-inlay dining table.

The natural stone itself becomes part of the design. Because every slab has its own markings and variations, no two tables can ever be exactly alike.

The piece is finished with intricate brass inlay between the stones — a detail that proved particularly challenging to perfect.

“It’s the piece where the material does most of the talking. Every slab is different, so no two tables will ever be identical, and the brass inlay between the stones took the longest to get right.”

The result captures much of what defines Atelier SANYA: natural materials, meticulous craftsmanship and traditional techniques interpreted through a contemporary perspective.

Made one at a time

Atelier SANYA works on a made-to-order basis, with every piece created individually by hand.

Alongside its collections, the studio accepts custom commissions, allowing pieces to be adapted or developed around a client's particular space, needs and ideas.

It is a slower and more personal approach to design — one where the hands of the maker, the characteristics of the material and generations of craft knowledge remain visible in the finished object.

What's next?

Sanya is already developing the studio's next chapter: a collection inspired by theatre and the performing arts.

For a designer whose work begins with narratives, it feels like a natural direction — another opportunity to translate stories, movement and emotion into objects we can live with.

Discover Atelier SANYA and follow Sanya's work on Instagram at @atelier_sanya.