Kankuben Lalabhai Parmar

India

Year(s) attended: 2010

Embroidery

Kankuben Lalabhai Parmar is a patchwork and appliqué artisan who has been working for over twenty years with SEWA Trade Facilitation Center (STFC)—a non-profit company formed by more than 15,000 women textile artisans from the desert region of Gujarat, in Western India.

These women—all skilled home-based embroidery worker-artisans—are both the producers, managers and proud owners of their company which was organized to ensure the livelihood of its members by creating a high-end marketing niche for their extraordinary work.

As Kankuben Lalabhai Parmar admits “I had never thought of my piece of patch work that I used to cover the torn mattresses in my house could be used as a curtain and beautify someone’s drawing…After joining SEWA we came to know how much our craft could be helpful to us in our lives and how it could help us survive….”

The hand-sewn appliqué work mastered by this artist includes exquisite geometric, floral, and decorative designs—including entire village scenes masterfully cut and appliquéd on cotton cloth.

Sales from her traditional textiles allow Kankuben Lalabhai and others from her village to remain in one place throughout the year, rather than having to migrate from place to place in search of a livelihood and fodder for their cattle.