Apparel April 2019 Apparel April 2019 issue | Page 86

UNIQUE INITIATIVE
the gallery, could be shown after their exhibitions
were over. The presence of the store thus gave
artisans and designers sustained exposure to the
Mumbai market and it also made it possible for
art lovers and customers, who had missed the
exhibitions, to still be able to see and purchase
garments and works.
ETHOS OF ARTISANS’
The core of the gallery’s ethos is to support long-
term craft revival, sustenance and growth through
innovation. “The aim in setting up the gallery is
simple: to go beyond established commercial
relationships between buyers and makers of
handcrafted artefacts, textiles and garments
by providing opportunities for learning, creating
lasting value through a dialogue between us and
our generation of emerging artists, craftspeople,
and designers,” says Radhi.
“ARTISANS’ is more than just a venue, a
gallery or a shop in the historic heart of Mumbai’s
Kala Ghoda art district. It is a social enterprise
at the forefront of a movement to nurture India’s
creative economy with initiatives that are aimed
to change the way we think, behave and choose.
The convergence of art, craft and design at
ARTISANS’ is our leitmotif.”
The gallery was conceived as an antithesis
of the white cube gallery. It was designed with
flooring of recycled Burma teakwood; its wooden
sloping roof was restored; and the windows
retained and restored to bring in natural light,
thus making it a warm and welcoming gallery
space. To communicate the ethos of ARTISANS’,
in 2016, Radhi commissioned artist Sameer
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I APPAREL I
April 2019