I have always been drawn to the act of making things — painting, handmade creations, anything where you can see the process of thought becoming something real. Art, for me, has never just been aesthetic. It has always been a way of saying: I was here. This came from my hands.
Alongside that, I have been curious about what makes people connect with a product, what they see value in, and why handmade work moves us in ways that machine-made things rarely do. That curiosity led me to the artisans.
When I started meeting the women behind Bandhani — watching fingers move faster than my eyes could follow — I recognised something I already knew. The same hope that exists in every person who creates with their hands: to be seen, valued, and understood. Shivakari is my attempt to make sure that happens.
"Their work traveled farther than their names ever did — until Shivakari."