In Sumraser, India, a centre of craft revolution is making its mark, stitch by stitch. The Kala Raksha Trust was founded in 1993 as a not-for-profit initiative, under the guidance of American social entrepreneur Judy Frater and indigenous artisan Parakash Bhanani. They shared a vision to preserve the rich, traditional crafts of Kutch, which were being undervalued and at risk of slipping away from society.

The purple snail (Plicopurpura pansa) inhabits the rocky shores of the Pacific coast, from Baja California to Peru. It produces an ink that turns purple when oxidized, which has been used since pre-Hispanic times to dye textiles. During the 1980s, massive exploitation bed to the near extinction of the species in Oaxaca. Thanks to the efforts of the Mixtec dyers from Pinotepa de Don Luis and specialists such as Marta Turok, these activities were stopped, and the Mixtec people were legally recognized as the only ones authorized to extract the dye in a sustainable way.

As you drive out southwest of Jaipur, toward Bagru, away from urban city bustle, the bright sights and sounds fading into a wide expanse of rural farmland, fresh air, roaming herds of cattle, antelope, and camels, birds sweeping the sky – a sense of calm takes its place. It’s here, on the periphery, that you will find the workshop of Wabisabi Project – a studio devoted to preserving the legacy of traditional block printing and natural dyes. 

Trip participant and textile artist Jessie Mordine Young shares an in depth account of our homestay in the Rif Mountains, creating ceramics with Mama Aicha and her family.

Photos by Kate Berry for Thread Caravan.

An exploration of henna pigment extraction during a natural dyes workshop with Ahmed in southern Morocco. Written by Maria Jose Gomez and photographed by Andrea Tamayo for Thread Caravan.

Some of us at Thread Caravan have been working through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and it has opened up space for reflection on what it means to live a creative life. Here we share some of our reflections, and invite you to walk this creative path..

Himanshu Verma is an arts curator, artist, and independent scholar based in Jaipur. He leads heritage walks across the country and is the founder of Red Earth, an independent arts organisation that works with Indian contemporary visual art, design as well as diverse forms of cultural expression. Here, he discussed Jaipur’s best kept secret: Vastu.

In Thread Caravan’s inaugural Crafts of Kutch experience, participants were fully immersed into the rich and storied craft traditions of Gujarat’s Kutch region, a land shaped by centuries of nomadic movements, trade, and artistic heritage. Over the course of eight days, we connected with master artisans and learned textile techniques through hands-on learning experiences. Below, we dive into the unique experiences included in the trip itinerary.