Working Together workshop in Bangalore, 10 May 2016

Working Together: Equitable and Effective Cooperation between Artisans and Designers Tuesday 10 May 2016, 9am-6pm Location: GoCoop CA Site No:1, GINSERV Building Behind Leela Palace Kodihalli, Bengaluru Karnataka 56008 Effective Partnerships between artisans and designers are required to sustain and take the craft sector ahead. The purpose of this workshop is to explore these partnership … Continue reading Working Together workshop in Bangalore, 10 May 2016

Living Blue: Cultures-Based Innovations in Natural Dyeing and Sustainability Symposium

Dori Tunstall at Swinburne University is coordinating an indigenous cultural exchange involving natural dyes. The day-long seminar is a chance to learn about what happened and where it is going.

Priya Ravish Mehra makes art inspired by rafoogars

Priya Ravish Mehra is an influential figure in the Indian craft scene. For many years she has worked with traditional darners – ‘rafoogars’ – from her home town of Najibabad. In 2006, she brought out two rafoogars to Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games cultural festival, where they were the subject of great fascination as experts … Continue reading Priya Ravish Mehra makes art inspired by rafoogars

Handloom crisis: A background note

The handloom sector is facing a new crisis, even more serious than issues of competition, marketing, technology, livelihood and quality of life that have inhibited Indian weavers for decades from access to the unlimited opportunities that are possible today. The latest crisis could eliminate India’s rich handloom advantage forever. The crisis became evident suddenly, ostensibly … Continue reading Handloom crisis: A background note

Journey Leads to New Platform

Samaanata was the culmination of a three year journey between Australia and India. Sangam: Australia India Design Platform involved an extended series of roundtables, workshops, forums and surveys examining the interests and relationships of producers, developers and consumers. The goal has been to encourage a growth in design exchange between Australia and India by identifying … Continue reading Journey Leads to New Platform

Kondapalli craft: You can’t have money without meaning

In order to understand a craft, it is important to not only understand it from the technical-economic point of view but also to understand the spirit behind it – the meaning the craft holds for the craft community. There are crafts which slowly languish and die not only because the craft products do not bring … Continue reading Kondapalli craft: You can’t have money without meaning

Make it New Again starts in Ahmedabad on 22 November

Make It New Again: Models for Innovation in Traditional Craft 22-24 November 2012 National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India Craft is a form of production that uplifts communities, tells stories that connect people together, and fills our world with beauty. India is a treasury of the world’s craft traditions, clothing, sheltering, feeding and adorning people … Continue reading Make it New Again starts in Ahmedabad on 22 November

Ancient Futures: an Indian Perspective

The phrase ‘ancient futures’ suggests an interesting way forward. Recent trends in the interior architecture and design field (few illustrative examples are discussed in the latter part of this essay) indicate a growing concern to find the perfect balance between the ideologies of the past and the needs of the future. The quest is to … Continue reading Ancient Futures: an Indian Perspective