We are at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity where I am trying to sneak a picture of a block print of cultural icon Begum Akhtar on a blouse. Its wearer, Mamta Varma, runs Bhairavi’s Chikan in Lucknow, with 300 women who do fine chikankari embroidery. Noting my interest she reveals that the unusual blouse was made by … Read more
The lines between craft, art, and design are blurring now more than ever before. Artisanal techniques, once seen as the antithesis of “cool”, are gaining ground in art and design circles. Last year saw several narratives around textile, helping transform them into powerful tools of inquiry into cultural identity and sustainability. Exhibitions such as When Indian … Read more
A sunny, sweltering summer afternoon in Delhi sees the gates of the Brazilian embassy open to visitors. Not for caipirinhas, but for a pop-up (the ambassador is a friend of craft) featuring, among home accessories and garments, a line of exquisite saris developed by textile maven and author Malvika Singh. The shopping experience is in … Read more