Hey, who's the designer? A prison inmate

From the heartland of the country, Bilaspur, a town in Chhattisgarh, comes a brand that combines social work with design and business ideas. Neeti Tah, a graphic designer from Chhattisgarh went back to her homeland, having quit an art director's job a year ago, to launch 36 Rang (pronounced Chhattis Rang), named after the colourful art forms native to the state.


Bhitti work wall clock (Rs 1,500)

The label offers a variety of tees sporting embroidered motifs, block-printed dupattas, stoles and sarees, shawls, cushion covers, papier-mache jewellery, wall paintings, key holders and lamp shades. "The idea was to give art forms from Chhattisgarh a platform, and I also wanted to return home to work with the local populace," says Tah.

She began by establishing a rural centre that trained women in Marwahi art and embroidery. The next step was to blend these into a contemporary design format. "The motifs we use are those that represent Chhattisgarh. We embroider them on tees instead of using them as prints," she says. Tah's plan included bringing artisans from five other villages under her company's umbrella, followed by re-introducing training in embroidery for prison inmates from Raipur.

"Back in 2001, prison inmates from Raipur were being trained in embroidery. Soon after, the government changed, and training stopped. I negotiated with the Raipur jail superintendent and we re-launched training, working to create contemporary versions of the art they had learnt," Tah shares.

After drawing inspiration from Dhokra (metal casting art), Bell Metal, pottery and wooden craft, Tah decided to experiment with the lesser known craft of Bhitti. "This is a relatively new and unexplored craft form, a legacy of an artisan called Sonabai who had sculpted tribal motifs on the walls of her house. She was discovered by US-based author Stephen Huyler who wrote a book on her life, and the craft form," says Tah. "I now work with her two sons. These artisans have now been trained to work with papier mache since it's a light-weight alternative to clay that was traditionally used."

Besides retailing at four stores across the country, Tah travels with her handcrafted products to exhibitions in Delhi, and also takes customised orders. "There is a constant challenge to keeping the artisans motivated. It is hard to take on bigger orders since I have to work around the schedule of the Raipur jail inmates.

Tah admits that launching a company posed a monetary challenge. "The first time I retailed at an exhibition in Delhi, I did not make any profit but received a good response." Tah isn't certain of where the venture might take her, but admits it is likely to turn into an NGO over time, something she prefers over running a purely commercial venture.

At: Loose Ends, AN House, opposite Shoppers Stop, Bandra (W)
>Bliss 180, Aram Nagar 1, 7 Bungalows, Versova, Andheri (W)
mail@36rang.com for orders
Call: 9999055369/ 7869911229
www.facebook.com/pages/36-Rang-ChhattisRang /134485183230709? ref=ts

Price list
Embroidered salwar suit material:
Rs 5,500 onwards
Foot pencil stand:
Rs 500
Sling bags:
Rs 800
Cushion covers:
Rs 950 each