Meet and Greet

[Krishnapriya]

Hello Amorette and everyone else on this forum!

My name is Krishnapriya Rajshekar – I usually go by KP. I studied architecture and majored in History, Theory & Criticism during my masters. I am currently teaching at an architecture school based in Mysore, Karnataka. I am deeply interested in the History of Art & Storytelling and wish to grow my knowledge regarding various global movements and indigenous bodies of art & craft. Textiles tell stories of our varied cultures and geographies, and being bequeathed textiles from one’s family is a great way to inherit stories of our families as well 🙂 My interest in textiles was kindled during my Masters while I was in Ahmedabad – a city renowned for its fabrics. My Mexican roommate at the time, who is a good friend and a brilliant craftsperson & scholar of textiles herself, played a huge part in me starting to recognise associations with textiles that went beyond the mere aspect of wearing clothes . I also recently happened to visit my grandmother’s ancestral village in Kerala, that is renowned for its handlooms. I grew emotional while being given a tour of a hand-weaving unit because there is such an unfathomable amount of care, precision & effort that goes into producing a single saree that we wear with such casual ease during occasions. I was also mind-blown by the network across India that goes into crafting sarees, dhotis & towels that are ultimately known only by the name of one place while hands as far as from Surat & Salem have played their part at varied stages of production, while families from Karnataka & Tamil Nadu have been practising their craft in Kerala since generations. If textiles don’t make a case for national integration, I don’t know what does!

I am quite excited about taking this course and hope that we have some great discussions on this forum. Thank you MAP Academy for the initiative, and for the generosity in making this course so accessible 🙂

– KP

[Krishna]

Hello Krishnapriya! Thank you so much for sharing your heartwarming experiences and fascination for textiles with us. We hope that this Course allows you to engage with the subject even more closely. As you’ve rightly mentioned, a lot goes into every stage in the making of a textile and we’ve discussed these in detail in some of our lessons. I hope you find them helpful and exciting. Cheers, and happy learning!

[Marcia]

Hi everyone,

My name is Marcia Harvey Isaksson. I run a textile gallery in Stockholm called Fiberspace. I’m always interested in learning about textile history and was happy when an acquaintance sent me this link via Instagram.

[Krishna]

Hi Marcia, we’re thrilled to have you with us as part of this community and hope the Course has been exciting for you. You can always use this thread to share your feedback with us. Thank you for joining!

[Anurag]

Hello everyone! I am Anurag. I have been interested in the history of textiles and how it shaped destinies of empires, and contributed to colonialism in the 19th and 20th century India. I have worked with artisan communities in Kutch in Gujarat and see how textiles history draws heavily from local geographies, landscapes, and socio-cultural beliefs.

I am so much looking forward to this course.

Thanks,

Anurag

[Krishna]

Hello Anurag, welcome to our community! The Course explores the relationships that textiles from the Indian subcontinent share with community, culture, history, geography and more. We hope that these help further your interest in the subject. Do let us know your thoughts about the Course!

[Trevor]

Sorry to bother you folks but the videos don’t seem to be working for me at all.

Am wondering if its just me or is this something others are experiencing as well?

Cheers,

Trevor

[Amorette]

Hi Trevor!

Thank you so much for informing us about this. It was a technical glitch that we have now fixed. You should be able to access the videos now. But do let us know if you run into any issues again!

Best,

Amorette

[Zakia]

Hello everyone, Zakia this side.

I am an Indian textile enthusiast and that is why I am here.

Hope to have an amazing learning experience.

Peace

[Krishna]

Hi Zakia, we’re delighted to have you here. Thank you for taking the Course. We hope you’ve been finding the lessons engaging and relevant!

[Anita]

Hello

I am Anita Ratnam. I am the founder Director of a non profit that works with disadvantaged young people. I also teach at a university ad a visiting faculty teaching a course on women and work. I run a small consulting practice on workplace cultural Inclusion.

In 1999 I curated a exhibition called Theeadbare to create awareness about the people, processes and politics behind our clothes. I am deeply interested in textile crafts and really delighted to join this course.

[Krishna]

Hello Anita, thank you for enrolling in the Course. Your journey in teaching, curating and engaging with textiles and communities, is inspiring. If you find this Course engaging, you might also enjoy our upcoming in-depth Course on Textiles which is in the making! Looking forward to having you with us on this journey.

[Paola]

Hello Amorette and MAP community,

My name is Paola and I have an immense passion of all which is the handmade, Indian crafts.

I am interested in expanding my knowledge in the history of each craft.

Thank you for the opportunity and congratulations on MAPACADEMY project!

Paola

[Krishna]

Hi Paola, thank you for taking interest in our Course and for your warm wishes. We have some exciting news regarding an upcoming Crafts Course which you might be interested in. Do keep an eye out for emails and updates from us. Happy learning!

[Shyamolie]

Hello everyone,

I’m Shyamolie, a visual artist, curator and textile enthusiast from Mumbai. I studied Fine Art in the UK where I experimented with textile printing. My artworks are inspired by the rich textiles of Kutch, my hometown. During my years at university I enjoyed researching about Indian Textiles and their relevance in contemporary art.

Currently I work at Art for Concern ( a charity organisation ) where I help curate exhibitions and auctions.

[Krishna]

Hi Shyamolie, thank you for signing up. It’s exciting to hear about your prior experience with textiles and contemporary art. Hope the lessons have allowed you to engage with your research interests even further! We’d love to hear your thoughts and reflections on the Course. Feel free to use this comment thread to share your feedback with us.

[Apoorva]

Hello Everyone!

I am Apoorva Sarkar, a fervent lover of Design, Sustainability, Art and Culture. A fashion designer by degree, I went on to study the Spanish language and then digital marketing so trying to encompass all spheres I mentioned earlier in any and every form or way.

I have been a huge fan of Indian handicrafts and especially handloom after having learnt about them in brief during my undergraduate course so coming across the course got me excited and enrolling for it was a no-brainer.

Excited to be inspired.

[Krishna]

Hi Apoorva, thank you for joining us on this journey! Handlooms from the subcontinent have such a compelling story to tell and we are delighted to see you share our enthusiasm on the subject. Hope you have a great time learning and exploring this exciting world.

[PREETI]

Hello everyone,

I hope you all are doing well. My name is Preeti and I am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in History. I was in 8th grade when I first studied Indian textiles and still remember asking questions related to different textile and cloth, how they are different from each other, and their association with society. That little curious girl goes on to make her social science exhibition project on “Indian textiles and society.” Well, my teacher was really impressed, she even gave me a story book but with the lack of resources, I didn’t get the chance to read more about it in the future. I’m really glad that the Map Academy has come up with this program.

I’m looking forward to enriching my knowledge about textiles.

Thanks & Regards,

Preeti Kumari

[Krishna]

Hi Preethi! Thank you for taking the Course and for sharing your heartwarming story with us. Your curiosity and engagement with the lessons drive us to continue building this space as an accessible digital repository for art and art history. If you have any questions or feedback for us, do let us know in the comments below.

[Catherine]

Hello everyone,

My name is Catherine and I’m an Australian. I have a huge interest and respect for Indian textiles, art and culture. So I was very excited to find this course.

My working background is as a Fashion designer, Educational Graphic Designer and I also have a BA in Asian studies and History. I have a strong interest in handcrafted and sustainable textiles and clothing … So this course is just perfect !

Thank you MAP Academy

[Krishna]

Hi Catherine, thank you for choosing to be a part of our Course community! We would love to hear more from you about your experience working with and learning about textiles. Feel free to also share your feedback on this Course with us on this discussion thread. We hope it adds value to your knowledge and experience.

[Elizabeth]

Hello Amorette,

I was thrilled to come across this course and am very much looking forward to it, however, when I click “Start Course” I get an Error 404 Page Not Found message, and thus I’m unable to begin. Any insights as to what the problem could be? Thank you and many thanks to MAP Academy for offering these opportunities for enrichment.

Regards,

Elizabeth P.

[Elizabeth]

Never mind; after about 15 minutes it worked fine. Just completed the first section – so interesting and beautifully done! Thank you; am looking forward to the rest of the course.

[Krishna]

Hi Elizabeth, sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for joining! We’re delighted to know that you’re enjoying the Course. Please feel free to share your thoughts and feedback with us any time, on this thread.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by  Krishna.

[Eadaoin]

Hi, I’m Eadaoin, from Ireland. I did the course because I’m interested in textiles and textile design, and also in history. I found the course fascinating and learned a lot. Thank you!

[Krishna]

Hello Eadaoin, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts about the Course with us. We look forward to your participation in our upcoming Courses as well. Happy learning, and thank you for joining our community!

[Radhika]

Hello everyone! Hope this message finds you well 🙂 My name is Radhika and I’ve always been passionate about textiles from a very young age since I grew up in one of the big hubs of textiles in Gujarat. I am thrilled to see MAP Academy has released such fascinating courses. I currently work with an art gallery and look forward to acquire more insights from this course.

[Krishna]

Hi Radhika, delighted to have you here! We’re glad that you enjoy our work. Hope you find our lessons meaningful and exciting. Do let us in on your thoughts about the Course!

[Dr Suvarna]

Hi Amorette

I just explored the website of MAP accidentally and got to know about. As an interest in the arts , and textiles, I have enrolled for this course. May be I might get some insights through this course for any future engagement .

[Krishna]

Hi Dr Suvarna, thank you so much for joining our Course ‘Textiles from the Indian Subcontinent.’ We’re thrilled to have you here. Hope you find what you’re looking for on Indian textile traditions, communities and their connected histories. Feel free to share your feedback for the Course with us.