“Circa caters to an audience with a taste for vintage. Our language is old, our collections are even older. People who know the language come to us,” says Mayank Anand, who is always greeted by amazing people who need to be repurposed Fragments of history beckon.”
Breathe life into antiques
Mayank Anand has been fascinated by antiques and antiques for as long as he can remember. Mayank explains in our exclusive interview how he has always been drawn to the romanticism of a particular era, as well as his retro obsession, which made him feel like he might have lived in it in a previous life; inspired him to start collecting from an early age Art and Antiques. For Mayank, these antiques are more than dusty history. Instead, they communicate with him, and he can understand them as they understand him.
Mayank told us he could barely rest until he got a piece, protected it from further abuse and harm, and gave it the credit it deserved. To him, they are real, breathing things that record priceless moments in people’s lives and times long gone. “I was drawn to the antique, the depth of color, and into a world of mystery, legend, and beauty. It was almost obsessive—about the culmination of that obsession,” says Mayank Anand.
Q1: Please tell us about the Circa series and if any of the items have an interesting backstory.
[Mayank Anand] Every piece we collect and restore has its own unique history. The aim is to preserve this history and restore a particular piece to its original state, true to its era and the function of its components, only to mend what was broken. I love the age of preserving handicrafts and every groove and dent is part of its story. I want to honor, honor and celebrate that. It’s fine if there are scars. We are all.
Q2: What countries or demographics do you source your antiques from?
[Mayank Anand] Circa has a collection of artifacts ranging from architectural remains to family heirlooms. A large part of the Circa collection comes directly from ancient families. Some are from trusted suppliers with whom we have an association that are almost old fashioned themselves. And then there’s some real estate sales that we know because we’re in the business. I also bought a lot from auctions. I am a compulsive buyer when it comes to vintage or vintage. Even when I travel, you’ll see flea markets, real estate sales, or live auctions dotted the itinerary. This is part of my trip. I see a city through its architecture, arts and crafts.
Q3: Given the uniqueness of art collections, what percentage of repeat customers do you serve? What national or international audiences do you plan to reach as your network expands?
[Mayank Anand] Circa caters to an audience with a taste for retro. Our language is old, our collection is even older. People who know the language will come to us.
Q4: Why did you decide to set up your store in Goa? Is it marketing antiques to overseas buyers?
[Mayank Anand] The idea is not sold to foreigners. The idea is to sell to Indians. Let my fellow citizens know about our nation’s tangible culture in the form of arts and crafts. What makes Goa unique is that it is a melting pot of the whole of India.
Q5: How did you put your ideas into practice when designing Havelis using antiques? What services do you provide and how much do they generally cost?
[Mayank Anand] India has so much to offer in art and architecture that if I only explored one aspect of every house I built, I would have to build a million houses and I would only scratch the surface. Old spaces fascinate me. The thickness of the walls, the height of the ceiling, the texture of the floor, all for a reason. We strive to bring these reasons into contemporary architecture and make it fit the way we live now. We offer a complete design and build service using vintage and restored materials.
Q6: Did you design Havelis with sustainability in mind? If so, how do you incorporate eco-responsible elements into your interior design?
[Mayank Anand] We design all our spaces with repurposed wood, restored furniture, and architectural elements from old Havelis and bungalows. The more we can reuse and repurpose, the happier we are. We also kept some traditional practices in the design, such as kelvins using things like stained glass to control the light entering the home. We prefer to use locally sourced native materials and whenever possible we use the contours and wind direction of the land.
Q7: Do you use handmade sheets when designing Haveli’s interiors?
[Mayank Anand] really. Textiles are not only handmade, but also vintage.
Q8: In terms of curatorial art, do you think NFTs will continue to exist? Do you think the value of NFTs will increase in the future as more people have access to digital versions of the original artwork?
[Mayank Anand] I can’t understand this. My ideology is too old.
Q9: Given that this is an area of expertise and few people recognize the importance of preserving heritage, what challenges do you face in this area?
[Mayank Anand] We meet two types of people: fall in love with what we do or know nothing. Fortunately, the tribe of the former is growing. They want to embrace and celebrate our culture and see the value and purpose of preserving it until they understand the costs involved. Circa is our chance to educate more and more people to think about this.
Q10: Are you planning any outreach activities to make people aware of the value of cultural preservation?
[Mayank Anand] We do plan to roll out more educational content with the help of the Circa team. We want to create a space on our social media platform that attracts people interested in art, culture and design. We will be hosting some live sessions to discuss ideas, share knowledge, and hopefully create a community that can inspire other creative minds.
Q11: What is Circa and what is the company’s mission and vision statement?
[Mayank Anand] Circa has an extensive curated collection of art, antiques, collectibles and vintage furniture. It was born to bring the best of the old world into the new. Every artifact, antique or painting we own has been lovingly restored to its original condition. We intend to share the diversity and richness of Indian culture and heritage. At Circa, we recycle what we can, repurpose what’s been done, restore what’s already there, and refurbish what’s discarded to reuse what was deemed unusable.
Q12: Tell us about the founding of Circa.
[Mayank Anand] About a locked baby. Bringing our passion to the world is a long-cherished dream, but it all started to take shape during the lockdown. We suddenly had time to work overtime and finally made that happen.
Q13: What items are available in the Circa store, and do you also process custom orders and fill in the gaps by purchasing items specifically requested by customers?
[Mayank Anand] The Circa collection is divided into three categories: architectural elements, decoration and furniture. The selection is varied and you’ll find treasures ranging from marble sculptures to wall art to vintage beds. Since we have access to a wide variety of collectibles, we source vintage items for our clients. If they like what we have and want more or want something like that, we can help them find it. We want to find a home for these beautiful works of art to be admired and appreciated.
Q14: Why does the value of antiques increase over time while everything else depreciates? What kind of antiques are in high demand, and what are the factors that assess their value?
[Mayank Anand] Antiques will always remain precious because they are few and far between. Over the years, many forms of traditional arts and crafts have disappeared due to industrialization and mass production. These art forms are deeply rooted in culture, history and way of life. Whatever we manage to preserve and salvage can give us a glimpse into our past. While precious metals are always precious, the value of an antique does not necessarily depend on its intrinsic value. Sometimes a piece of Chinese pottery can be more expensive than a diamond bracelet. It depends on its rarity. Diamonds are certainly not that rare.
Q15: What guidance do you have for young people who are very aesthetic but have no money to buy antiques?
[Mayank Anand] Keep an eye out for quaint little antique shops, thrift stores and auctions. You never know what you will find in these places. Often, all they need is cleaning and a few minor repairs to get them back into usable condition. Don’t discount what your parents and grandparents might have in their closets.
Q16: Will Circa launch an affordable vintage collection soon?
[Mayank Anand] Cheap antiques are an oxymoron. Most of the cheap antiques you see on the market are replicas of the real thing. At Circa, we don’t copy. once. The idea is to live a lifestyle, not collect curios.
Q17: Antiques are exquisite decorations and carry memories of the past at the same time. How do you know if an antique comes from a happy place and doesn’t emit any negative energy in the home where it is placed?
[Mayank Anand] We always keep an eye on where our antiques come from. Our handicrafts go through a cleaning and energy cleansing process before being sold.
Q18: As an entrepreneur, what inspires you? How do you show antiquity?
[Mayank Anand] What always inspires me is beauty. I’m an artist and I’m fortunate to work with entrepreneurs who bring the necessary expertise. The Circa store in Anjuna, Goa is a permanent exhibition and the spaces I design and create are more like installations as they channel all my creative outlets. Circa will soon launch a large store from which the entire unit can be purchased.
