Mahatma Gandhi’s Wall Panel
Organic Linen, Jute, Cotton, Raw Silk, Natural Dyes Hand Embroidery designed by Karishma Swall for Chanakya International Pvt. Ltd. created by artisans from Mumbai’s Chanakya School of Craft in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Contemporary variations of the small needle, hook needle, and shuttle needle techniques in hand embroidery come together with hand couching, knotting, and fine zardosi to create a Sfumato effect where tones and shades of colour are allowed to gradually shade into one another. This makes hazy forms or their softened outlines. An extra use of changing thread directions in a version of the satin stitch creates an active play of light. This melange using organic yarns reflects the idea of Unity in Diversity inherent in India, with the free-flowing embroidery blending together to reflect the spirit of freedom. With an image of the father of our nation at its centre, this artwork aims to relive his values of fabric being the Livery of Freedom during the Indian National Freedom Struggle and of self-reliance for craft communities, another legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.


Khun Fabric
Using the popular ‘Khunn/ Khana’ fabric of North Karnataka, the designer ( Vaishali S) creates an art work that showcases the circle of life of mushrooms.

The base fabric used for this work is the original Khun handloom, used in Karnataka and Maharastra to make blouses worn with sarees. Textures are created with its waste scraps to mimic the life cycle of fungi. The idea is in line with the designer’s practice of researching nature and transferring its flow into a textile, which then is able to connect with human beings. She has explored the circle of life of mushrooms here. She sees them as the first emergence of life and its colors.
Khun, also known as khana, is a 4,000-year-old handwoven fabric. The khun fabric was almost extinct when designer Vaishali Shadangule chanced upon its magic.
Khun, or khana, is mainly favoured by women in north Karnataka and some parts of the Vidharbha regions in Maharashtra and Marathwada. This fabric is very light-weight and it is used to stitch cholis (blouses) or ravikes to be paired with ilkal saris from the same region. with a complex pattern that is 4,000 years old. Khun is basically dotted with small fragile motifs. Once upon a time, every household made khun as a part of the fabric range. Today, in modern times, fewer households are following the handloom tradition. Artworks and handloom fabrics are very important to our cultural heritage but have declined in recent years. We now have the time to help this tradition live on for years to come.

