By Chahat Sharma
1. Introduction: How the Idea Began
Burgoyne Original Masters (BOM) was born out of Burgoyne’s century-old legacy of craftsmanship, a heritage that has been woven into Irish linen since 1912. For over a hundred years, WFB Baird & Co. has stood for patience, authenticity, and respect for the maker’s hand. Yet beyond its looms in Ireland and India, Burgoyne felt a growing need to extend its belief in originality, authenticity, and devotion to craft into the wider creative world.
Burgoyne Original Masters emerged as the culmination of this evolution. It is a platform that brings together artists, designers, musicians, and creators devoted to their process, their purpose, and their pursuit of excellence. It is a cultural initiative that honors those who make with their hands, think with their hearts, and shape the world with sincerity.
2. BOM’s Vision
BOM is not a marketing initiative; it is a cultural movement that values the journey of making as much as its result. Its philosophy is rooted in honoring process, patience, and persistence.
BOM supports and documents creators who shape how we think, create, and remember. It supports those who devote themselves to their craft with quiet discipline and integrity. It champions creativity beyond commerce, building a bridge between heritage and modern expression.
Abhijit Ganguly, Director & CMO, WFB Baird & Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd.: “Burgoyne Original Masters takes the essence of our century-old heritage of craftsmanship, authenticity, and skill, and places it in conversation with today’s creative world.
The idea is not nostalgia, but continuity. We are building a space where the same values that shaped Irish linen have also inspired filmmakers, designers, artists, musicians, and people in all creative pursuits. By documenting and supporting creators who lead with honesty and depth, we ensure Burgoyne’s belief in craft stays alive, relevant, and forward-looking.”
Abhijit Ganguly, Director & CMO, WFB Baird & Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd.
3. What BOM Does: Collaborations and Cultural Projects
Through collaborations, films, workshops, and digital archives, Burgoyne Original Masters celebrates craftsmanship in all of its forms. Its projects serve as living archives of artistic devotion and creative exchange.
Major Cultural Partnerships:
– India Art Fair 2025: Burgoyne marked its entry into India’s cultural landscape with a major partnership at the India Art Fair. Surrounded by galleries and institutions that shape South Asia’s contemporary art ecosystem, BOM’s presence reflected Burgoyne’s evolution from a heritage textile house to a contemporary patron of culture.
– Jahan-e-Khusrau Festival: At Delhi’s Sunder Nursery, BOM collaborated with the Rumi Foundation’s iconic Sufi festival curated by Muzaffar Ali, where music, poetry, and design met on one stage. The partnership mirrored BOM’s belief in the timeless conversation between devotion and creativity.
– Delhi Contemporary Art Week 2025: Supporting emerging artists, BOM reaffirmed its mission to celebrate originality and craft in the context of contemporary India.
Unwoven by Juhika Devi Bhanj Deo at Delhi Contemporary Art Week 2025 in collaboration with Burgoyne Linen
4. The Original Masters
The inaugural edition, Original Masters: Season 1, brought together artists who embody originality, authenticity, and devotion to craft:
– Ashita Singhal, founder of Paiwand Studio, transforms textile waste into new weaves of care and continuity, giving both fabric and weavers a second life.
– Sachin Tekade, a visual artist who works with folded paper and light, crafting quiet, minimal forms that speak of patience and purity.
– Shivani Aggarwal, another visual artist who explores the weight of memory and silence through wire, wood, and thread, transforming everyday materials into meditations on time and emotion.
– Syed Sahil Agha, Dastaango and storyteller, revives the oral tradition of Daastangoi, blending wit, poetry, and history into narratives that keep heritage alive.
– Shivani Varma, Kathak dancer and choreographer, carries the grammar of Kathak with honesty and emotion, keeping classical rhythm alive in contemporary spaces.
– Akash Das, a photographer who bridges fine art and wildlife, capturing nature’s raw theatre with compassion and instinct.
Shivani Varma, Kathak Dancer: “My philosophy of craft and creativity aligned with BOM almost effortlessly because, at the heart of it, we both believe in purity and quality. For me, true art has to feel luxurious yet remain accessible; it should breathe across disciplines, where one form naturally flows into another. If dance is about movement, then the fabric that accompanies it must carry that same rhythm.
That is what I found beautiful about BOM: they understood the importance of synergy, of respecting another’s craft. They thought beyond mere transactions and turned collaboration into a story.”
Shivani Varma, Kathak Dancer
Ashita Singhal, Textile Designer, Weaver, Craft Crusader, Founder of Paiwand Studio: “At Paiwand, we constantly try to reshape narratives. A promise to change the perception of waste and make it a credible raw material by reintroducing it into the supply chain. To patronize traditions while also reinventing. We look back and honor our master craftsmen and the labor that goes into the craft. Burgoyne Original Masters honors this same dedication and excellence. When they reached out to us, it was a recognition of our quiet conscious efforts. At Paiwand, we are weaving a revolution, and we are glad that Burgoyne chose to recognize us!”
Ashita Singhal, Founder of Paiwand Studio
5. The Future of BOM
As Burgoyne Original Masters moves forward, it envisions a growing community that values skill, heritage, and innovation equally. BOM’s plans include expanding collaborations across India’s cultural landscape, documenting more makers through film and dialogue, and building a sustainable archive of creative excellence.
At its heart, BOM seeks to create a living bridge that connects the wisdom of tradition with the vitality of the present, ensuring that the act of making remains both relevant and revered.
James Baird, Chairman, WFB Baird & Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd.: “When we first imagined Burgoyne Original Masters, it was never about a marketing story. It was about the people who create with devotion. Those who give years of their lives to an art form. For over a century, Burgoyne has lived by a simple belief: that true craft takes time, care, and respect for the hands that make it. With Burgoyne Original Masters, that spirit moves beyond linen into stories, carrying forward the same values of authenticity and excellence. India’s creative landscape is rich and evolving, and through BOM, we want to offer space to those who quietly shape how we think, create, and remember. We also ensure that the values of patience, originality, and mastery continue to define the culture we leave behind.”
James Baird, Chairman, WFB Baird & Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd.
6. Conclusion
From Irish linen to Indian artistry, Burgoyne’s story has always been about time, care, and the human hand. Through Burgoyne Original Masters, that story expands from thread to thought while celebrating those who make with honesty, devotion, and excellence.
It stands as a living tribute to makers who remind us that originality is not a moment; it is a lifelong practice.
Follow Burgoyne Original Masters as it continues to celebrate those who shape culture – one original at a time.
