Neelanjana Ghose?s collection of ?Kantha Sti-tch?, on display at the Birla Academy of Fine Arts and Culture last week, upheld the beauty of an old craft practised in India.

The artistic quality was manifest on the layers of old cotton dhotis or saris on which embroidery ? patterns traced in running stitch with short gaps ? was done with threads drawn out from a sari or dhoti border. Silk has been used to make the material more durable and saleable.

Ghose?s collection includes cushion covers, bed covers, wall hangings, bags etc. She has used interesting traditional motifs and designs as well as contemporary design elements to give it a different angle. The bright, rich colours and intricate designs are a real treat to the eyes.

The technique of kantha stitch created a different ambience with the characters of stained glass painting. In some of these works one can hardly see the material through the stitches which is not a character of kantha, but the result, one must say, is awe-inspiring. It does not come as a surprise when Ghose says that some of her pieces have taken around a year and a half to be completed.

She has carried out bold experiments, and, in the process, modified an old craft. Her endeavour has been successful in creating an exotic collection.