What is fashion to you? It can be personal, bold, or deeply rooted in culture. Design Craft’s latest exhibition puts that question into focus through the work of artisans and designers trained at Somaiya Kala Vidya in Anjar, Kutch. It will offer a closer look at what happens when tradition is not repackaged, but reworked from within. The exhibition features 10 designers working across Ajrakh, Bandhani, Batik by Akhtar Khatri and Basit Khatri, Rabari embroidery, Ikat weaving, and Soof, each tied closely to its geography and community.
Amrita Somaiya
“There is no attempt to merge these practices into a single visual language; instead, they remain distinct, carrying forward motifs, techniques, and colour systems shaped by region. In Madhya Pradesh, for instance, block printing traditions like those of Nandana craft still encode social meaning, with patterns and colours indicating whether a woman is married or unmarried within the Bhil community,” says Amrita Somaiya, trustee of Somaiya Trust.
The exhibition’s theme, Vasundhara, draws from the Earth and the relationship between material, craft, and environment. Each designer approaches their practice through texture, form, or seasonal reference — Rabari and Soof embroideries echo organic patterns, extra-weft weaves play with density, while Batik and Bandhani translate shifts in landscape into cloth. The showcase spans statement sarees to contemporary garments and accessories, balancing heritage with a modern twist.
ON March 27 to 29; 10 am onwards
AT Cymroza Art Gallery, Cumballa Hill.
CALL 23671983
The Guide’s picks at the show
Batik: An ancient resist-dyeing technique in India, practiced across Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal. Seen here through the works of Akhtar Khatri and Basit Khatri.
Ajrakh: A 4000-year-old block-printing tradition from Kutch and Barmer, known for geometric precision and natural dyes. The exhibition will feature works by Yasin Khatri and Tausif Khatri.
Soof: Counted-thread embroidery from Sindh, now preserved in Kutch, defined by geometric patterns stitched from the reverse. Interpreted at this exhibition by Laxmi Puvar.
Rabari: Embroidery rooted in the nomadic Rabari community, marked by bold motifs and mirror work. The exhibition includes pieces by Gitaben Rabari.
