A Haven Called Kaash

Bengaluru-based studio-cumresidency Kaash is quietly working in the craft collectibles market with collaboration and accessibility at its core

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Tall and effortlessly elegant in a khadi shirt and bandhani scarf, Kaash founder Sridhar Poddar is warm and effusive as he welcomes you to the leafy bungalow compound he converted into an exhibition space, a studio and an artist residency in late 2020. Originally a home, the bungalow dates back to the 1800s, with a classic Mangalore-tiled roof and carved wooden monkey tops typical of colonial architecture found in Bengaluru. It carries a serene old-world charm and authenticity that is hard to come by these days. 

Last year, Kaash hosted a months-long artist residency with five artists working across the indigenous art forms of warli, gond and mandana. The residency culminated in Thinking Hands, an exhibition of new representations of traditional art forms, experimenting with scale and materials..