For centuries, the artisans of India have taken the memory in their hands – from the stitches of Chikkari, to the flickering of theva jewelery, or the handwowel diies, which holds the entire stories. These works are displayed in museums or shops, but rarely a house that respects both the process and the product.
Kunj in Delhi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Kunj opened in Vasant Kunj in Delhi, tries to change it. Through the office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), the textiles of the textiles were conceived and cuisted by the cultural venture Cultre, this is a place where the craft is designed as a living, developed practice, not as a relic of the past. It brings artisans, designers and audience into conversation, creating an environment where tradition and innovation are found on equal terms. The Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), says Amrit Raj, “Indian craft is so rich that we wanted a well-curated place, which shows Indian handicrafts best for the world, but designed.” “This place has been conceptualized in this way, and I hope people like what we have introduced.”
Craft
Kunj’s most arrested corner is Karigar Sangam, where National Award winner, Shilp Guru and Padma Shri artisans present their best work. Among them, Abdul Besar’s camel bone carvings – a complex hunting scene that took a year to complete – Sakila Bano Ansari’s sits near Chikkari Khanop, its lattice embroidery is as airy as a breathable breath.
Dinesh Kumar Soni’s Pitchi of Shrinathji resonated with devotional traditions of Nathdwara with gold and silver leaf. And in a contemporary turn, Imtiaz Ahmed’s Mirzapur Durri – woven more than six months – translates the face and figures into bold colors and flat textures.
Visitors in Kunj in Delhi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Each piece bears its story, allowing the visitor to face human voice behind the object and even buy work. For many artisans, such direct encounters are rare; Very often, their compositions are filtered through middlemen or displayed without reference.
Shops with stories
Beyond the Karigar Sangam, Kunj hosted 19 curated retail space, which is more likely to open in the future. These are not uniform storefronts, but are intimate, thinking -focused shops that carry clothes, clothes, accessories, toys and homeware. Here, installed craft enterprises such as the Central Cottage Industries Emporium and the yeast created a marketplace with design-forward start ups such as Iro Iero and Mirasi, which gives equal importance to the authenticity as innovation.
The game is also home where visitors can re -discover the joy of traditional Indian games and toys – handmade Gilli Danda, Spinked Top, and Chessboard that once define the game everyday. This idea is to move ahead of the memento and in living culture: to wear something, to use, for gifts, and crafts to pass.
Kunj in Delhi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Crafts as experience
Kunj is not made on the logic of passive consumption. Instead, it insists that craft is considered the best through participation. In the Kala Manch, low-term traditions were rarely seen on national platforms. In a corner, Amrita Devi’s Sikki grass craft shines in gold and color – boxes, toys, and jewelery that are made of grass varieties for about a month before weaving. Nearby, Ashutosh Verma’s Sanji Kala, the tradition of cutting the devotion of Mathura, pulls from the pattern once to beautify the floor of the temple in the memory of Radha and Krishna.
Kalp Kosh takes it forward, offering workshops on hands where children and adults can learn a sewing, a fold or a knitting. Atrium itself makes a monumental installation by artist Ankon Mitra, which is woven with hundred, converts the fabric into a sculpture landscape. Designed with hand -made gardens, bamboo, jute, terracotta and sugarcane, brings crafts in architecture, offering a sensory break between the movement. Even the colors of the interiors – deep, vibrant, and soil – echo the overwhelming traditions of India.
Kunj in Delhi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Crafts are relevant to the young audience when they can interact with artisans and look at their practices with contemporary design,” says Sunil Sethi, president of the Fashion Design Council (FDCI). “When the tradition is presented in dialogue with the present, it does not only preserve the past – it actively shapes our future,” they say.
Beyond a market
Kunj keeps himself not as a shopping arcade but as a cultural center. Recently, FDCI organized the heritage of the craft, a fashion showcase where designer Divyam Mehta, Payal Jain, Samanta Chauhan, Suket Dheer, and Upavita attracted directly with hand techniques – Kantha, Chikkari, Bhagalpuri silk, block print, and Chandri – to present the collections that further worry with him.
Kunj in Delhi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Through the show, the audience not only saw the beauty of handicrafts, but also experienced how inspired to inspire crafts designs, music and performance on performance,” says Sunil.
India’s crafts have been celebrated abroad for a long time, often more strict than home. Kunj is an attempt to perform the festival in Delhi, which offers both dignity and visibility to the artisans, and the audience has a deep connection for handmade.
Published – September 11, 2025 01:16 pm IST