Kalkatte Vaali was conceptualized in 2019 with an intent to attain “Ikigai,” a Japanese way of life. It means a “reason for being and a life with a direction or a purpose”
The founder, Meghna Ghosh, who had been a part of the corporate world for more than a decade, decided to have her “Ikigai” and pursue the dream of honing her creative ideas on home aesthetics. Blending the contemporary with indigenous styles was her way forward.
Arts and crafts, created at a grass root level by the artisans from villages in the Eastern belt is what she is resolute to exhibiting to the urban world. This association gives an immense opportunity not only to protect the age-old heritage; but also helps with empowering & reviving the might & livelihood of the artisans.
Our associations are currently with the Patuas and Kantha stitch embroidery.
The Patta-Chitra artists, more popularly known as the “Patuas” are striving to keep up the age-old tradition of scroll paintings. Currently, we are associated with 3 families comprising of 10 artists. Raw materials which are used to create this art are made from all-natural ingredients like vegetables, fruits, the bark of a tree, charcoal and many more. The most significant aspect of the Patuas is their religion. They follow Islam and their crafts comprise of Hindu mythological figures. This sense of neutrality moved us immensely and drew us towards working with these rustic artists apart from their obvious sense of creativity.
Kantha, a form of embroidery is another age-old tradition practised by rural women in West Bengal, Odissa, Tripura & Bangladesh. Kantha stitch came into being with an idea to make quilts or bed covers, from layers of recycled old sarees or dhotis with simple running stitches all over. The embroidery evolved over a period of time. They are now stitched in contemporary designs on fabrics other than the erstwhile recycled sarees or dhotis. This evolution caters to the urban sensibilities and the livelihood of the artisans substantially.
We were in awe of the enormous sense of balance these women strike, between household chores and intricate embroidery on never-ending lengths of fabrics. We have had the opportunity to collaborate directly with 5 families to create thread works on fabrics procured directly from the looms.
Thank you and enjoy browsing through Kalkatte Vaali.
25 products
25 products
