-
Mubarakpur Weaves a Success Story
When we talk of our commitment to revival of dying or languishing hand looms and handicrafts, we believe that change is happening, right now, right here and that it can only go up. Our confidence is based on many instances of craft revivals across the country; far reaching changes brought about by the collective efforts…
-
Re-Worn: Getting a New life
A weaver sits on his loom patiently weaving ‘Khesh’ – a weaving technique that uses new yarn in the warp and strips slashed off old sarees in the weft. The weaver chooses these strips randomly off a pile sitting next to him; the result is a stunning piece of fabric where the colors of the…
-
All That Diwali Jazz…
Just in time for that last-minute setting, between dancing flames of the diyas, the colorful rangolis, the fragrance of flowers and incense sticks, sweet sweets, here are décor ideas to give you an instant Diwali celebration swag. So, are you ready for the biggest and the brightest festival of them all? To make your festive…
-
Inside Story: The Jaypore Muslin Bags
The technologies of the most beautiful things are simple. The simplest silhouettes make an avant garde garment, a memorable piece of music portrays a simple thought, a complex computer language aims to solve a simple but critical problem. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” – Leonardo Da Vinci, 16th Century polymath. It’s the simplest things in…
-
Uzbekistan : A Thriving Culture
Uzbekistan is one of the oldest civilized regions of the world. First settled by Iranian nomads, Uzbekistan has been in turns ruled by the Greeks, Turks and Arabs, the much feared Genghis Khan and Taimur; the ancestor of Mughals. By the time Uzbek tribes became powerful in the 15th century, Uzbekistan had already cemented its…
-
An Uncommon Journey
Design in India permeates everything we do. Its in our clothes, our buildings, our temples, even in the pots and pans we use in the kitchen. In this plentiful land of many seasons and myriad languages, of ancient civilizations and constant influx of new peoples; every material possession has become a canvas for expression. It…
-
Sacred Art – From Temples to Homes
India has a long and storied tradition of art, tracing its origin back to pre-historic settlements in the third millennium. Nearly every civilization that has since occupied the sub-continent for any span of time has left an indelible mark on its culture and artistic consciousness. So has every major religion that rose from its soil…
-
A Love Affair with Jewelry: Amrapali’s Chandrika Collection
In India, all that glitters, is nearly always jewelry. We can’t have enough of it and it’s not just the wedding and festive seasons that make us hungry for more; we’re in love with our gold, silver, diamonds and precious jewels throughout the year. India’s style lexicon is punctuated with jewelry of every shape and…
-
The Untold Tales of Khesh Weaving
The khesh weaving process is simple. The warp is with new yarn and the weft is with strips of thin cloth obtained by tearing old sarees length wise. Because of the tradition of khesh weaving in Birbhum in the last many years, a market for old sarees has come up in Amodpur, where old sarees…
-
In a New Avatar: Dhokra Art
Who would have imagined fusing Brass and Rock together would create something so beautiful. Presenting Rock Dhokra by Devrai Art Village. Brainchild of Mandakini Mathur, a filmmaker, teacher and social activist and Suresh Pungati, an art teacher and an award winning adivasi craftsman from the Madia tribe. Under their stewardship, three ‘Dhokra’ artists from the…
Storytellers of Wonder 