Masters in Making Exhibition Explores Textile Heritage Through Contemporary Practice

A new exhibition examining the evolving relationship between Indian textile heritage and contemporary artistic practice will open at Alliance Française de Delhi on 1 October 2026. Titled Masters in Making – Threads of Continuum: Reweaving the Future of Heritage, the exhibition marks the culmination of the inaugural grant initiative by Burgoyne Original Masters (BOM), bringing together 20 artists, artisans, craft-led brands and collectives from across India. The exhibition has been curated by Anjchita B. Nair and will remain on view until 10 October 2026.

A National Grant Initiative

The exhibition is the outcome of the first edition of the Masters in Making grant programme, which was launched to support emerging and mid-career practitioners working with textile-based ideas and practices. According to organisers, the nationwide open call received more than 180 applications from artists across India. An expert jury comprising Dr Madan Meena, Hema Shroff Patel, Dr Vandana Bhandari and Sreyansi Singh selected 20 participants whose works now form the exhibition.

The initiative reflects Burgoyne Original Masters’ broader commitment to encouraging dialogue between traditional knowledge systems and contemporary creative practices. The organisation has previously positioned itself as a platform supporting artists, interdisciplinary exchange and cultural engagement.

Textile as Memory and Living Knowledge

At the centre of Threads of Continuum is the idea of textile as a living archive. Rather than viewing heritage as a fixed inheritance, the exhibition explores how traditional practices continue to adapt in response to social, ecological and cultural change. Across the exhibition, textiles are presented not only as crafted objects but also as repositories of memory, labour, community histories and inherited knowledge.

The exhibition proposes textiles as:

• Ecology and environmental knowledge
• Archives of cultural memory
• Sources of livelihood and identity
• Languages of community and continuity

Through installations, craft processes and contemporary artistic interventions, participating practitioners investigate how heritage can remain relevant while responding to present-day realities.

Spotlight on the Grant Recipients

Five grant recipients have been selected from the cohort, each representing a distinct textile tradition and regional practice.

• Jagrity Phukan explores Muga, Eri and Mulberry silk traditions of the Brahmaputra Valley.
• Kanmai Payun presents Fulor Saneki and Gadu earth-loom weaving practices from Majuli.
• Dhaiyda Jitendra works with the centuries-old Tangaliya weaving tradition of Kutch.
• Dinesh Chhipa revisits the complete sixteen-step process of Bagru hand block printing, including the rare Fadat technique.
• Porgai Artisans Association, a collective of 80 women artisans from Tamil Nadu’s Sittilingi Valley, showcases Lambadi embroidery revived from near-extinction.

Together, these projects highlight the relationship between traditional craftsmanship, community knowledge and contemporary artistic inquiry.

Twenty Participants Across Regions and Practices

Alongside the grant recipients, the exhibition includes works by Pooja Dhingra, Jayati Kaushik, Juhi Sharma, Archita Bharadwaj, Geeta Rabari, Malvika Kaushik, Kalyani Prasad, Upraant Foundation, Kamala Murali, Stuti Kumar, Medha Khosla, Indigene Craft, Diti Mistry, Pankaj Kondewar and Mili Mandal.

The diversity of participants reflects the exhibition’s focus on multiple approaches to textile-making, ranging from weaving and embroidery to material research and interdisciplinary practice.

Alliance Française as Cultural Venue

The exhibition will be hosted at Galerie Romain Rolland within Alliance Française de Delhi, a venue known for presenting exhibitions, performances and cultural programmes. Named after French Nobel laureate Romain Rolland, the gallery has become a prominent space for contemporary artistic presentations and cultural exchange in the capital.

Alliance Française de Delhi has for decades served as a key Indo-French cultural institution, presenting exhibitions, workshops, films and interdisciplinary events that connect diverse artistic communities.

Event at a Glance

Heritage Beyond Preservation

Curator Anjchita B. Nair’s exhibition frames continuity not as repetition but as adaptation. By bringing together artists working across different regions, materials and generations of knowledge, Threads of Continuum examines how inherited techniques can acquire new meanings while remaining rooted in the communities from which they emerge.

The exhibition contributes to ongoing discussions around the place of textiles within contemporary art discourse, positioning craft traditions not as static cultural artefacts but as active and evolving forms of artistic expression. Through its focus on memory, materiality and cultural transmission, Masters in Making offers visitors an opportunity to engage with India’s textile traditions through contemporary perspectives while recognising the communities and knowledge systems that sustain them.