Sufiyan Ajrakh - INDIA

“Our craft of Ajrakh hand-block printing and natural dyeing is over 4000 years old and has been practiced by the Khatri community of Kutch and Sindh, Ajrakh textiles are distinguished by Jewel-like colours and floral, geometric, and architectural patterns made in a focused and caring 16-step process.

Our family has been practicing the traditional skill of hand block Ajrakh print for ten generations. By the late 90s the market was growing evermore limited due to its design limitations. My Interest was to overcome these limitations and foster design collaborations. Attracting designers from across the world to work with the Ajrakh craft by introducing new colour combinations, block designs, and patterns suitable for their market needs.

The aim is to spread the Ajrakh art to newer markets and inspire more artisans to take up their craft. A decade ago our practice only involved seven artisans, but today we are working with about 140 craftsmen in Printing and dying.

For us Ajrakh is a way of life. Working in it not only gradually improves our vital skills, but also acts as a medium for education, nourishment, philosophy, and expands the opportunities accessible to us. So the preservation of the craft is crucial to our community as a whole.

I feel a fine balance between production and innovation is important to sustain the craft”

- Taken from Sufiyan Ismail Khatri with adjustments.

Over the years he has worked with established names such as: Cloth House, Dosa Inc, Pero, Andrew Wells, Simon Marks, house of Anita Dongore, Brass Tracks, Christa Michel, Maiwa, Nimai Nitai, Good Earth, and many more.

Collaborating with the textile division students of New South Wales University for over five years and combining the know-how of Textile artists, Graphic and environmental designers, and others to create various artworks as part of the Textiles factorej project.