Seamless Routes Of Stories

LONG before borders were built and empires fell, before railways cut across forests and textiles became brands, there were threads—threads that travelled from India to Uzbekistan, from Persia to Anatolia, bartered, gifted, stitched, and worn. They carried stories soaked in natural dyes and secrets that women passed on to generations.

- DIYA MARIA GEORGE

It is this legacy that Iranian journalist-turned-collector David Housego and his partner Mandeep Nagi, design consultant and co-founder of Shades of India, brought to Chennai. At The Folly, nestled within the compound of Amethyst, the exhibition 'Bukhara: A Journey on the Silk Route' opened with an intimate conversation, transporting those present to the embroidered heartlands of Central Asia, on Tuesday. The duo's private collection, part of the exhibition, showcased rare examples of Suzani embroidery and Ikat weaving. The name 'Bukhara' alludes to Bukhara in modern-day Uzbekistan, once a pivotal node along the Silk Route and a thriving centre of textile innovation.