Vikram Goyal in collaboration with de Gournay forges mythologies on hand-painted wallpapers

There is a liminal space between truth and fiction, where imagination and belief converge to create narratives that are greater than literal reality, but less than absolute truth. That is where I would probably place this collaboration between de Gournay and Vikram Goyal. Titled Modern Myth Makers, the series of three hand-painted wallpapers represents a profound act of making and reconciling the tangible with the transcendent. When I learnt that de Gournay has transformed Vikram’s repoussé metal works into bas-relief scenes on gilded paper, I was intrigued to understand how metal would meet paper. The artwork is rendered in a solution to generate a relief effect when heated.

From afar, the wallpapers; Dreamscape, Harmony of the Heavens and Garden of Life, appear to be made in metal (brass, to be specific). But up close, I notice the possibilities of them being paper. “Tell me, are these papers, like actual paper?” I ask Claud Cecil Gurney, founder, de Gournay, to reconfirm what I was comprehending. “We use a smooth, German woven paper that has a smooth surface, and the hand-painting that we see is truly exquisite. de Gournay tapped into what would translate repoussé the best using a bas-relief technique that mimics hand-carving — paint is heat-set to rise, creating a textured effect,” he answers.

With that little doubt ironed out for me, I look deeper into the pieces themselves, being particularly drawn to Dreamscape. Inspired by the Book of Dreams, a collection of 17th-century miniature paintings, Dreamscape blends symbolism and mythical imagery. It features the Gajasimha (half-elephant, half-lion), Gajaraja (elephant king), Hamsa (geese), and a tree filled with vibrant parrots, each representing prosperity, health, fortune and protection. Drawing from Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Asian traditions, it reimagines these elements into a unified design rooted in cultural storytelling.

“A lot of my work is rooted in India’s cultural history — be it a painting or a myth or fable or ancient architecture. And most of my work is linked to India’s cultural heritage,” mentions Vikram. Claud continues, “We never repeat designs at de Gournay. The landscapes, often storytelling in nature, align beautifully with Vikram’s artistic ethos. Vikram provided the designs, and our role was to execute them with precision, adding depth through shading and a hint of 3D. While gold (brass) was ideal for this collection, we could explore silver or copper in the future, as the technique offers endless possibilities.”

By virtue of concept, I find a sense of joy in Harmony of the Heavens, a wallpaper that is conceptualised on the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur. It captures India’s astral observatories through geometric forms, creating a profound dialogue between celestial instruments and the cosmos. The Zodiac system finds place across ancient cultures with common denominators and indicators. To me, this meeting of science and storytelling mirrors the multidimensionality of myth and mythology. Garden of Life borrows from the Silk Route, which connects Japan, China, India, the Middle East and Italy. It features trees native to each region — such as sakura for Japan, bamboo for China, and champa for India — and combines them with animals like the oryx, tiger and peacock. 

If I may add, in between the realms of mythology and myth, as I marvelled at paper imitating brass, dissected concepts and stories, I also discovered a thread of mithya. In Advaita Vedanta, mithya reflects the transient, ever-changing nature of the world. It’s not an illusion (maya) in the sense of being unreal but is dependent on a higher reality for its existence. I discovered a celebration of possibility — a space where reality expands into imagination. It’s in this spirit that Vikram Goyal and de Gournay’s collaboration shines, turning paper into the semblance of metal and storytelling into an art that bridges realms, countries and cultures. 

Now Read: In conversation with Vikram Goyal on his journey in the design world