11/09/2026
Some exhibitions you visit. Some exhibitions remind you why you started.
Today was the second kind.
Walking through the Antaran (craft based livelihood initiative by Tata Trust) exhibition at Vicky Gardens, I found myself stopping at the smallest things â a bundle of yarn, an old weaving tool, the texture of a handworked surface, the colours lying casually beside one another.
Things that may look ordinary to someone passing by, but to anyone who has spent years around handloom, they tell an entire story.
For over five years, I have watched Antaranâs work across clusters like Kamrup, Maniabandh, Gopalpur and Srikalahasti, and our own connection with the Kamrup cluster has made that journey particularly close to my heart.
What stays with me is not only the beauty of the textiles.
It is the people.
The extraordinary patience of the weavers. The knowledge held in their hands. The willingness to learn something new without losing what has been handed down to them. And the immense amount of work that goes into giving these craftspeople the training, exposure and opportunities they deserve.
This is what craft preservation should look like to me â not putting an old technique behind glass, but keeping it alive in the hands of the person who knows it best.
A very special mention to Vikash Kumar, who, through his conversations and insights today, helped me understand Madhubani in a much deeper way. I found myself looking beyond the familiar vocabulary of the art form and thinking about its journey â how a deeply rooted traditional language can slowly find its way into contemporary colours, patterns and ways of expression without losing its soul.
That transition is fascinating to me, especially as someone who works with traditional textiles and constantly thinks about how heritage can speak to a new generation.
And somewhere in that conversation, I found myself hoping that Fashnet Calcutta gets to work with Maati someday soon. There is something very exciting about the possibility of bringing our worlds together.
I feel genuinely blessed that Fashnet Calcutta has been able to be a small part of this larger ecosystem.
And today, more than anything, I felt proud to belong to this family.
Still learning. Still looking closer. Still discovering.
And perhaps that is the best part of working with craft.
