Featured Galleries: Art and Craft

Delhi has attracted artisans and artistic influences not only from its immediate vicinity but from many parts of the subcontinent. Confluence of various art traditions has been a visible feature of the city given its position as the political capital. Post-independence witnessed a strong focus on “cottage” industries and Delhi became one of the prominent centres for handloom and khadi production, industries that have consequently suffered. Accompanying the growth of many national museums that sprang up in the city in the decade following Independence was the increase in demand for skilled persons to oversee the maintenance of these spaces. Craftspersons have also catered to demands specific to the city. Kite making, and crafts associated with festivities such as Dussehra and Janmashtami, although not a common site today, have flourished in many different parts of the cities. Often operating from home-based-workshops the craftspersons catered to the changing tastes and demands of Delhi’s residents.