Celebrating Indian Artistry
We discover India’s finest artisans, blending their craftsmanship with contemporary style and our design vision to create vibrant, unique home décor. Partnering with over 3500 artisans all over India, our mission is to empower these makers through lasting, meaningful partnerships, celebrate the richness of heritage crafts, and drive social impact that resonates far beyond the workshop.
MELA WORKS ACROSS INDIA
Mela created full time work for 3,500 artisans in 2024 from Kashmir to Goa.
Kashmir
Maqbool Jan is a master artisan from Alamgari Bazar in Srinagar. Drawing inspiration from antique sozni pieces created by his father, Maqbool has brought many innovations into his craft. Over the years, his fine skill and creativity have won him many awards – including the prestigious UNESCO Seal of Excellence. Working alongside his brother, Firdous Jan, and with the support of his family, he continues to refine his craft and fulfill orders with dedication and skill.
Brought to Kashmir from Persia in 14th century, Papier Mache found a home with Indian artisans who took advantage of the forms’ eclectic nature and infused it with vibrant colors and delicate floral motifs. The craft involves two key processes: Sakhtsazi, where paper pulp is molded into the desired form, and Naqashi, where these raw forms called Kalib are delicately painted with natural colors. What follows is unique, handcrafted pieces—each with its own story to tell.
Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh
Mohammad Sarfaraz from Sambhal is a highly skilled inlay artisan who has been immersed in this craft for almost thirty years. He learned this craft under the mentorship of his father, Mohammad Umer, who had spent over sixty years perfecting this technique. Sarafaraz has a keen understanding of both design and business and is a successful artisan entrepreneur today.
Inlay craft in India traces its origin to Rajasthan when royal families commissioned artisans to create exquisite items for their palaces. The process is very meticulous, beginning with ethical sourcing of materials, and then finely cutting, shaping, polishing, and inlaying on wood to create breathtakingly detailed products. Embedded in floral and geometric patterns, the designs exude ethereality through the soft white contrast inherent to the material.
UKHRUL, MANIPUR
Meet Thoiba Singh, a master artisan from Ukhrul, Manipur, who is known for his exceptional skill in crafting traditional Longpi artistry. He grew up in a family of potters, and his passion for the craft developed from a young age. He spent years in Longpi Village and fell in love with the style of the craft. Even after decades, he continues to prefer this style above all others despite the complexity of it. He combines this age-old craft with contemporary elements, offering a fresh take on a timeless tradition.
This art style is unique to Longpi Village, the birthplace of Longpi Ham pottery. The process of making it is quite rare because, unlike traditional pottery, no wheel is used. Instead, the pieces are crafted from a special mix of ground black serpentinite stone and brown clay native only to this village. The vessels hold great historical significance as they were once believed to carry healing medicinal properties, a privilege reserved for the wealthy class. Today, many homes feature pieces from this art form, making it both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
Bhuj, Gujarat
Yasin Shahabuddin is an ajrak master artisan from a small town called Pipar in Rajasthan, where his family textile dyeing and printing unit uses natural vegetable dyes and wooden hand blocks for printing. As third generation block printers, Yasin’s family has been in the craft of resist printing for over 200 years. He deftly combines the art of hand printing with kantha embroidery to elevate the look of our new home linen collection.
India is home to diverse artistic traditions in hand embroidery techniques and each region has a distinctive style. Some of the better-known ones are Crewel work, originating in Kashmir, Sujini from Bihar and Kutch from Gujarat. Crewel is a beautiful, traditional form of embroidery that uses wool to create sophisticated, slightly raised patterns on linen twill fabric. Sujini is another such art form where embroideries translate into storytelling. Kutch embroidery, practised by women of the tribal community, uses simple stitches in a vibrant palette, adding enchantment to the fabrics.
Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Vinod Bhati has spent every single day over the last twenty-five years perfecting his craft and honing his skills. His passion for painting began as a young teen, leading him to develop a deep interest in the world-renowned art style of Mehendi. He now spends countless hours teaching the next generation, and his pupils speak volumes about his dedication to his craft. His experience is evident in the innovative approach he brings, offering a curated collection of fresh colors and patterns for our Mehendi collections.
This art form originated as body art in South Asia, and Jodhpur embraced it by translating the style onto wood, creating intricate, flowing designs. Mandalas are the hallmark of this craft, requiring great attention to detail, intense focus, and precision. The result is nothing short of vibrancy, infusing any space with energy and charm.
