Indian Textiles: Histories, Practices, Perspectives
From the Bengal School to the Baroda Group, Bombay Progressives, and key practices in Contemporary Art, this Course introduces the profound ...
For millennia, Indian textiles have driven global trade, shaped cultures, and influenced art, fashion and design. Join us in this immersive lecture series — presented by Mayank Mansingh Kaul and the MAP Academy — as we journey into the rich histories, techniques, and traditions that define India’s textile legacy, alongside leading scholars and master makers.
This ten-part online series, featuring illustrated presentations, lectures, and panel discussions, traces the transregional histories, material dimensions, and market dynamics of Indian textiles. It also examines their influence on contemporary art, aesthetics, and architecture. As the first formal offering of its kind, the series brings together leading scholars, curators, researchers, makers, and entrepreneurs to present a rare blend of academic and practice-based insights into textile design, making, and afterlives.
About the Presenter
Mayank Mansingh Kaul is an independent researcher and curator with a focus on post-independence histories of textiles in India. He is a graduate in Textile Design from the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. Kaul has worked in cultural policy and curated seminal exhibitions including New Traditions: Inspirations & Influences in Indian Textiles, 1947–2017 (Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, 2018) and Pehchaan: Enduring Themes in Indian Textiles (Devi Art Foundation and National Museum, New Delhi, 2025). He edited the Marg publication Cloth and India: 1947–2015. Kaul is based in New Delhi, India.
How to Navigate This Platform
- This interface hosts recordings of all lectures delivered on Zoom, as part of our ongoing programme. If you miss any sessions, you can access the recordings based on the schedule provided below.
- To receive a Certificate of Attendance at the end of the series, ensure that you take all short surveys to note your reflections at the end of every Lesson. Upon completion, you will be able to directly download the certificate.
- At any time, you’re welcome to join the Discussion Forum, by navigating to the top-right of your screen. Here, you can introduce yourself and engage with our learning community.
- Once you have registered, you can either click the ‘Start Course’ button at the top of this page, or the first Lecture below to begin accessing lectures.
- Using your login credentials, you should be able to re-enter the lecture series at any point through your computer, phone, or tablet, and continue from where you left off.
Schedule
| Lesson | Guest Speakers | Date of Live Lecture (2025) | Recording Available On (2025) |
| Introduction | – | 5 July | 8 July |
| Considering Fibre | Dr Meena Menon, Uzramma | 12 July | 15 July |
| Historical Overview: 9th to 18th Centuries | Rosemary Crill | 19 July | 22 July |
| Colonial-Period References & Rethinking Pedagogies | Dr Ritu Sethi | 26 July | 29 July |
| Towards Recent Histories: 1947 to Now | – | 2 August | 5 August |
| A New Renaissance? | Deepika Shah, Hemang Agrawal, Dr Radhikaraje Gaekwad, Sharan Apparao | 9 August | 12 August |
| Indian Fashion — Discussing a New Paradigm | David Abraham, Jigmat Couture, Kallol Datta, Manish Arora | 16 August | 19 August |
| On Weaving — Conversation with Monika Correa | Monika Correa, Pradeep Dalal | 23 August | 26 August |
| On Ajrakh — Conversation with Dr Ismail Khatri | Dr Ismail Khatri, Ami Shroff | 30 August | 2 September |
| Indian Textiles in the World | Peter Lee, Shwetasree Majumder, Uthra Rajgopal | 6 September | 9 September |
Supporters
This project has also benefited from the support of The Art & Photography Foundation, the Rural India Supporting Trust, and the Infosys Foundation.
Title Image Credit: Shelly Jyoti, Timeless Silhouettes: Angarakha 1, 2010, Handwoven khadi, Ajrakh printing, dyeing techniques with needle work, 121.92 cm × 91.44 cm, Courtesy of the artist.
Course Content
About Instructor
