A note from our founder
The Zookeeper began as one parent’s journey in using good design to make products that spark creativity. It was also one child’s story seeking magic in the everyday.
Amruta Shah is an artist, designer, entrepreneur and mother to a four-year-old boy. Before she became a mum, she’d spent years in art universities and design studios as a designer, teacher and painter. She studied painting at the MS University in Baroda, India and then at the Chelsea College of Art in London, UK. In 2014, she was faculty at the Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore, where she worked across projects and courses in illustration, product design and textile. Before zookeeper, Amruta co-founded The Think Factory - a firm that helped organisations use design thinking methods to problem solve.
Amruta grew up in a family of entrepreneurs which meant that she was primarily inspired by high quality design, that is, art that is functional, innovative and technically of a high standard. The Zookeeper endeavours to achieve this balance in everything it does.
The inspiration behind the Zookeeper is Amruta’s son Kabir, who loves animals and nature and wants to be a Zookeeper when he grows up. In supporting Kabir’s creative imagination and creating a space for his unique personality, Amruta realised that it was hard to find products in the market made for children that celebrate diversity and individuality. She set out to create prototypes for her son, which led to the birth of the Zookeeper. A brand for a global generation of children who dare to think differently and strive to create a magical world sensitive to nature and the planet.
For Amruta, The Zookeeper is every one of us. An invitation to set foot into a zoo of wonderful objects, to learn, co-create and build with your children. And, a brand that celebrates having fun as you learn and grow.
Bon voyage!