Mridulika

"I'm Mridulika Menon Madiraju and I was born in Calcutta, now known as Kolkata. Then we moved to Chennai where I grew up and went to school. I'm inspired by my mother, Arundhati Menon, who designed saris and ready-made apparel, and worked with craftsmen from various parts of India promoting their hand-woven saris and textiles.<br><br>"I went on to Washington DC to do a Masters degree in communication, culture and technology and, for my thesis, I worked on a project funded by the World Bank developing a strategy for women's weaving cooperatives in Himachal Pradesh to promote the sale of their shawls. I turned to my initial passion for textiles and designing after moving back to India in May of 2008.<br><br>"I create apparel and textiles that appeal to global shoppers, while promoting traditional techniques such hand-block printing, which is a dying art in today's world of digital prints.<br><br>"The printing is done using wooden blocks carved by hand. We often use four color blocks which means there are four different blocks to color each different segment of the design. I try to combine the best of Western styles and Indian designs, and try to infuse elements inspired from all over the world.<br><br>"Every day is a learning process for me and I'm still learning. I have been learning a lot from craftsmen, artisans and also my mother. Every time we obtain a stunning effect as a result of the combination of various designs and colors, it continues to inspire and motivate me to work on more beautiful things.<br><br>"Right now, my greatest inspiration is my little daughter Mahika. She is a delight who keeps us entertained. She seems to appreciate my textiles and loves to play with them. She motivates me to create beautiful things. <br><br>"I've done exhibitions all over India including in Chennai, Goa, Pune, Bangalore, Delhi and Cochin and the response has been great. <br><br>"I am glad to be associated with you. I first learned about you when I was studying in Washington at Georgetown University. My graduate school professor had bought several things from you. I never considered myself a true artisan and was excited to learn about the opportunities of promoting my designs with your help.<br><br>"I really wish to promote handwoven textiles and would like to appeal to everyone to treasure this craft. In this high-tech digital world, the true beauty and appeal of handcrafts are becoming lost but, with the support of everyone, we'll be able to revive the art.<br><br>"In days to come, I would surely love to see my designs reach international heights and I'm sure you will help me achieve this dream."