Arti Sandhu

I featured Arti Sandu over a year ago here . She's back with some superbly rendered comic illustrations inspired by Madhubhani folk art & modern day Indian dilema. I think she's outdone herself, go take a look & show some love.

Nat Thakur

Absolutely LOVED these clever little pieces from Londoner Natalie Thakur. These are so simple and yet so brilliant & cheeky. The bags are made from recycled leather and fashioned to resemble your everyday cornerstore stripey plastic bag or paperbag & ofcourse , the 'bank robber' bags complete with the dollar sign . A tongue-in-cheek way to stay earth concious , more at Thakur's website. 

Sukanya Rahman

Some very eye catching shadow boxes and mixed media pieces from danseuse and artist Sukanya Raman. Loved reading about her illustrious  life. More loveliness at her website . 

Tsunami Scrolls.

I found these Patachitra scroll interpretations of the Dec '04 Tsunami disaster to be oddly endearing in it's childlike rendering of animated trams & helicopters. The artist is unknown but theres more info at the source for the intrigued.

Deepa Panchamia

Textile Artist, Deepa Panchamia creates sculptures , installations & wearable art that explore the intertwining concepts of scale and space, structure and surface. Working from her London-based studio, Panchamias philosophy towards design is to challenge the conventional perspectives of textiles. Consisting of pleated waves and pocketed constructions, her fabric has enhanced structural properties allowing it to be moulded, manipulated and transformed essentially moving textiles away from its traditional two-dimensional form.All pieces are handmade and entirely one-off, offering clients a unique installation that is designed specifically to suit their space, budget and aesthetic preferences.

Fazal Sheikh

Fazal Sheikh is an artist-activist who uses photography to create a sustained portrait of different communities around the world, addressing their beliefs and traditions, as well as their political and economic problems. By establishing a context of respect and understanding, his photographs demand we learn more about the people in them and about the circumstances in which they live.

The images above are from Moksha , if you can stomach it , go take a look at his award winning Ladli.  Images & text from here.

Manjula Padmanabhan

I guess I take pleasure in the simple things. I kind of love these. The last time I featured this fabulous lady , she was making Elephands. How can one not love her? Go say hi.  Images from here (great link) 

Thanks

Hey guys!

Just a quick hello & a big thank you :)

100 followers- You made my day ! Thanks for visiting and supporting MASALA CHAI. It wouldn't be the same without you. I try my best with my haphazard schedule, to look for unique content to feature on MC and I see it hasn't gone unappreciated ! 

& for the people who take the time off to write me encouraging emails  - thanks for this incredibly sweet gesture. I know that in this day and age , personal touches are not easy to come by. 

--

On a completely different note , there has been so much appauling violence against women by the "moral police" recently . March 8th is women's day & now more than ever , we are in dire need of a voice that has to be heard. While I am not big on these 'special days' , I am however big on gender equality & promoting women's rights.  The least we can do is spread the message of solidarity against this ugliness. I've got my Bell Bajao banner on & I urge you to do the same.

Enjoy the rest of thursday.

<3

Ambreen Butt

Pakistani born Ambreen Butt's recent works titled Dirty Pretty evoke such a powerful response not only because of the sheer beauty of execution but also because of it's despicably untoward relevance today.

From the website,"Haunting female figures appear in every beautifully detailed work, seducing viewers with decorative and figurative imagery into examining the scenes more closely. Closer scrutiny reveals that alongside these passive and idealized subjects of long ago are women of today, women actively and vociferously asserting themselves, raising their hands and voices at the risk of beatings and worse in an unstable world. Butt chose the exhibition’s title “Dirty Pretty” to describe the disturbing juxtaposition that makes her emotionally charged works so compelling. "

Love the intensity & symbolism. More of her brilliant work on her website. Images from here. 

Rajboori

Love the unlikely modern lines from Rajboori's home linen collection designed by Mitun Chakrabarti & industrial designer Stephen Burks . From their website, "Together, they have created a new brand of eco-friendly, unique, artisanal silk fabrications that are as beautiful and sustainable as they are eminently-suited for all kinds of modern living. A perfect blend of design authenticity and exquisite fabric selection underscore the product’s unmistakable panache."

Nishant Choksi

I am not a big fan of vector images. They are too smooth for my liking. I will appreciate a particularly interesting graphic image but thats really where it ends. Londoner Nishant Choksi's works however are a different matter. As a throw back to 40's-50's advertising , they fascinate in their retro madness. Look at these , how amazing are they? Insanely. Check out his website for more.

Moyna Singh

If you are one of those women (or man) who relies on a singular little clutch to tide you over life's every occassion, it's time for an intervention of the sparkly kind.  Moyna Singh's beaded, sequinned and all manner of embellished bags will make you forget all about that lonesome little clutch. Bags of every conceivable kind , to fit every occassion and every personality exist in Moyna's world. Each bag is handcrafted and lined with satin , for your clutching pleasure. Still skeptical ?  Visit her website ( & have some Faith!)