KANTHA: The Fabric that Unites the Community

Meeting with the artist

Parul Sinha 

09.09.2025

---

BGSW / Podgrodzie

Curated by Agnieszka Kilian

---

Kantha – the art of mending and a story of community.

Kantha is a highly valued practice from West Bengal that is neither weaving nor embroidery. For generations, women’s communities have been giving new life to old saris and dhotis – layering, stitching, and interlacing threads pulled out from worn fabrics. It is not only a technique but also a spiritual practice of making whole again that which has been divided or broken.  These textiles become carriers of communal memory as well as expressions of harmony with the surrounding environment.

Parul Sinha, a visual artist from New Delhi, will introduce us to the world of kantha. She will also reflect on the circulation of motifs characteristic of this practice and their connections to Kolam and Rangoli rituals. Together with the artist, we will create one of these motifs using different kinds of flour – opening ourselves to the environment.