Shillong Bamboo | A bamboo artist’s endeavor to make the best of nature’s green-gold supermaterial

Just a three-hour journey from Guwahati, you will be welcomed by the scenic beauty that Meghalaya offers. The place is known for its pleasant weather, beautiful falls and rivers, different types of species and trees etc. Every thing about this place is a joy to talk about.

People of the state are involved in many fields for their livelihood- government servants, company workers, self employed and so on. Since Meghalaya is rich with forest, there are different types of art work that people can earn from.

One such person who is making good use of what nature has to offer is 28 year-old Bandapbiang Dewkhaid. He is a bamboo artist and entrepreneur who was born and brought up in Shillong. After completing his graduation in marketing from St Edmunds College, Shillong, Dewkhaid first started his bamboo workshop in Mawsiatkhnam in Meghalaya; and now he has his own brand, the “Shillong Bamboo”.

“I love to do bamboo work. I just love when I see this beautiful incredible material. A material that can turn into any product. People see it as useless piece of grass, but for me I see changes in it. Bamboo is a fast growing grass not like trees. Save trees use bamboo.  This is the 21st century material that we are looking forward to make this world a better place once again,” says Bandapbiang Dewkhaid.

Shillong Bamboo was established in 2015 and is progressing excellently. Dewkhaid, a self trained in bamboo art, is also training young artists who aspire to run a business in this field.

“I’m currently focusing on construction and that too for a noble cause, and experimenting with bamboo structures that would speak of tradition but ooze modernity. Bamboo art and traditional structures are fast disappearing in Shillong as well as in other parts of the state. It used to be the state’s indigenous art form. My aim is to  revive it, inventing tradition, raise its affordability quotient and in the long run, preserve it,” says Dewkhaid.

Bandabiang Dewkhaid had exhibited his talent in several festivals like- the Monolith festival, Autumn fest, Nadi fest and more. Some of his constructions are done outside the State like Mumbai and Rajasthan. He is bringing more projects in the State his vision is to promote the manufacturing of bamboo products.

“I am planning for the expansion of bamboo products, building structures, growing varieties of bamboo species plantations in the State while maintaining the balance of the world’s ecosystem,” he says.

Currently, Dewkhaid is collaborating with a Filippino and an Indonesian friends who are part of the world bamboo organisation for global promotion. He is also looking forward to get support from the central government and to collaborate with other agencies and companies. And as for now he is not getting any help from the government.

Bandapbiang Dewkhaid was recently awarded in Entrepreneurship from Shree Naryana Guru Cultural Centre in Shillong.

A humble start with just his brother, the 28 year-old has come a long way and is hoping to excel more in his field and to contribute more to the state.

“I am going to create a symbiotic relationship between nature and humanity; that is, a social bamboo world network and an e-Commerce site where people can buy and interact with the community and there will be more innovative bamboo products in the future,” adds Dewkhaid.