Malkha | Madison

Close-up image of a fabric piece with printed design of clouds in cream and black flying birds on a red background.

The Malkha | Madison project seeks to deepen our understanding of the value of artisan production in the contemporary post-industrial world. Indian artisan cotton textile production is a field that links the pre-industrial past to the post-industrial future. In keeping with the CDMC’s three pillars—the study of textiles, design thinking, and material culture—we hope to convey the vibrancy of the field by sharing the vision, process, and material culture of Malkha, a South India-based textiles commons. One person at a time, Malkha is rebuilding links among farmers, weavers, designers, and consumers to imagine a future for a cotton textile that is “democratic, equitable, sustainable, and restorative.”


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Project Members

Weaving Malkha

A Moment in Making: 2017

Malkha’s Vision for a Democratic Craft Economy