Kalhath at 10: How Maximiliano Modesti took the Indian stitch global
The Kalhath Institute is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an exhibition in Mumbai showcasing the intersection of traditional Indian embroidery and contemporary art. Founded by Maximiliano Modesti, the institute aims to preserve heritage crafts while integrating them into modern design.
Why it matters
This initiative demonstrates how traditional artisanal skills can be successfully adapted for the global luxury and contemporary art markets, ensuring economic sustainability for craftspeople.
Walking into architect-designer Rooshad Shroff’s gallery space in Mumbai’s Fort, what strikes you are the colours and the variety of work. Some, like Paris and Lisbon-based multidisciplinary artist Pauline Guerrier’s Inquest I and Inquest II are riots of block-printed colour, but there are others such as Moroccan painter and photographer Amina Benbouchta’s Where the wind blows , which are more visceral. The bright red embroidery seems to jump off the canvas, in sharp contrast to a colour palette that is otherwise muted. And peppered through it all are Shroff’s embroidered furniture, such as wooden chairs (including collaborations with artists T. Venkanna and Tanya Goel), monolithic stone tables and other design objects.
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