There is an unpretentious one-room art and merchandise studio amid tattoo parlours, curio shops, and eateries, at Freak Street in Basantapur. Cosy, and sometimes even crammed, you have to climb up to this studio on the second floor through narrow and dark staircase. Although it has already established itself as a tiny hub for artists, the studio displays no signboard on the outside. However, once (and if) you spot the place, a massive graffiti on the wall inside screaming ‘Fuzion’, welcomes you in all its artistic glory. 

You’ll also immediately note that the founders of this studio are as crazy about machines as they are about art. The studio houses a range of digital printers used to print on an array of merchandising mediums ranging from books to badges; from totes to t-shirts, along with stickers and magnets.

Fuzion studio was co-founded in 2013 by Robin Kapali, a designer, and Sandhya Silwal, a visual artist. Today, the studio caters to a regular clientele of near 100 Nepali artists and art enthusiasts.

Anish Bajracharya, a graphic designer, who has printed his designs on stickers, labels, and badges at Fuzion, shares, “Simply put, they are the go-to guys. It’s almost granted that no matter what I ask of them, they’ll deliver it in the highest quality found in all of Kathmandu. Sometimes, they may not have the resources, but I know that Robin dai will not settle until he knows he has done enough searching. He will go out there, and start exploring options on his own.”

One of the reasons why the clients are loyal to Fuzion is the quality of the end product. Co-founder Sandhya shares, “We are artists ourselves and naturally very particular about product design. We can’t un-see or overlook errors like other commercial merchandising houses that pepper Kathmandu do.” Pointing to a box of mug prints gone wrong, she adds, “Although it’s bad for business, we have wasted so many mediums just because the prints were not up to the mark.” And as a result, artists are seldom disappointed at Fuzion because not everybody pays attention to details like they do. 

That was one of the reasons why Fuzion was established in the first place. The founders—who are originally artists—were exhausted of being dependent on vendors who “just didn’t understand”. Most merchandising vendors in Kathmandu have a limited set of resources, mediums, and skills, without ambitions for expanding or evolving. Fuzion naturally stands out among art enthusiasts because they involve and engage their clients in the whole process. Co-founder Robin shares, “When artists come to Fuzion, they are handing over their babies to us in a way.  It is very important that we understand where they come from and what they want at the end of the day. We work in this open-space so that the clients can hang out at our studio while we work on their merchandise—that way they can give feedback, but also learn in the process.”

At a time when Kathmandu is blossoming as an art hub, Robin believes that it is very important to cater to artists who have so many ideas, but not enough resources for the execution. He asserts, “We are more collaborators than vendors.”

“There is definitely a new consciousness and appreciation for locally made products, local designers and a burgeoning maker-culture,” shares Nayantara Gurung Kakshapati, founder of One Tree Stop, a gallery shop located in Durbarmarg that aims to bring attention to exciting new Nepali products and producers. She adds, “Although, there are plenty gaps to fill, Kathmandu is a good feeding ground for art entrepreneurs and Fuzion is one of the important parts of the larger ecosystem.”   

Instant Digital Printing Service (IDPS), a digital printing house in Kupondole, which caters to an overlapping clientele along with top advertising agencies and publication houses of Kathmandu, shares the same values as Fuzion.

IDPS was established in 2013 by two colleagues turned partners, Ajay Singh, the first ever professional drum scanner operator of Kathmandu, and Krishna Khadka, a self-taught graphic designer. They had served a company for almost 20 years before their former employer told them that he could no longer afford to employ them. Thanks to their two decades of experience in the industry, which evolved from completely manual to completely digital during their tenure; today they have been able to create a massive and loyal clientele of at least 200—in less than three years.

 On any day of the week, you’ll find the duo busy sending print orders, fixing designs, stripping papers, and sometimes even customising paper crafts. Work is never stagnant. “Our clients have been growing by the year and just through word of mouth. Our work markets itself, and one client leads to another,” shares Krishna, as he seamlessly fixes glitches in one of his clients’ design getting ready for print.

There are many digital printing houses across the valley, but IDPS is renowned for its integrity. Like Fuzion, the company takes responsibility for any print gone wrong. Trial and error is an important part of their everyday process. Before sending out final print orders, they make sure that the soft-copy has everything in place, and if otherwise, they either ask the clients to fix the glitches or do so themselves.

“It was not always this easy. When we started, we had to do everything manually and with utmost precision,” says co-founder Ajay. The eye for details and their obsession with perfection are just a couple of reasons why they are so popular.

In the last couple of years, art entrepreneurs as well as ark markets have been mushrooming across the Capital. “I feel like as long as there is a venue for people to sell their creative products, businesses with artistic handle will continue to grow. It also helps that there are quality printers available with whom these vendors can develop their products. Only a few years ago, lack of proper resources would have discouraged people to produce their work on paper,” shares Pranidhi Tuladhar, a product designer at Image Ark and an organiser of the monthly Yellow House Art Market.

“These guys are humble, hardworking and so easy to work with,” says Dishebh Raj Shrestha, a graphic designer—popularly known for his eye-catching and quirky stickers—who has been loyal to IDPS since 2013. “They understand the demand and deliver crisp quality, even if they sometimes take too long just because the print came out bad and they print the whole thing all over again” he adds.

IDPS, that prints everything from tiny stickers to massive flexes, is known as the go-to place for digital printing. Every so often, people also ask them to work as middlemen who coordinate with other merchandising partners; just because they are reliable and best at taking stress off shoulders.

“We are always crowded because our clients like to stay back and learn how things are done. And they are welcome because it’s important to pass on the skills and knowledge,” shares Krishna. “We have worked hard and relentlessly over the years to be where we are today.  Profit margins are not as important as our client’s faith in us,” adds Ajay.

Fuzion and IDPS have many things in common—from their work ethics to their skills—but the key commonality between them is they thrive by nurturing the up-and-coming art community in the Valley. Keen on helping artists and entrepreneurs execute their ideas through product design and prints, these two companies are fast-evolving into launch-pads for a city overflowing with creative impulses.