Bewitching, varied, intricate, thought provoking yet utilitarian – these are words that run through your mind when we talk of the variety of arts and craft in Odisha. Stone work, silver filigree, wood craft, appliqué work, brass and bell metal work, dhokra castings, horn work, patta paintings, papier-mâché, terracotta – the list goes on. Every district in Odisha has a specialist craft practice and a different take on another one! Over 100 such practices were documented in the early 90s by the renowned artist and art historian Dr. Dinanath Pathy. This list has started dwindling in the recent years with artisans struggling to find work. At BEADS we aim to rejuvenate this incredible art heritage by reimagining the way it connects with the contemporary world by way of design thinking and experimental art.
Odisha
Craft
Practices
About BEADS
BEADS is a design studio rooted in Bhubaneswar that creates elegant, ethnically inspired, and environmentally conscious products through meaningful partnerships with Odisha's artisan communities. As custodians of Odisha's extraordinary craft legacy , we reimagine ancient traditions through experimental art and contemporary design thinking, working directly with tribal communities like the Dongria Kandha and master artisans to ensure their skills thrive while providing sustainable livelihoods.
Our approach is fundamentally experiential and collaborative, creating objects that invite pause, contemplation, and connection—whether it's the meditative ritual of tea in our ceramic collections, the wearable heritage of our silver jewelry, or the transformative artistry of our Raku sculptures. Each handmade piece tells a story of Odisha's incredible biodiversity, tribal wisdom, and the skilled hands that bring our designs to life, reflecting our commitment to conscious living, authentic craftsmanship, and community empowerment through handcrafted, contemporary, toxin-free products with zero plastic packaging.
Inspiring lives with inspiring design from Odisha
Strategic Approach
The Odisha Craft Odyssey (OCO) programme envisions creating an inclusive cultural platform that highlights the craft practices of Odisha, challenging the conventional hierarchies between fine arts and crafts in South Asia. Historically, craft practices have been perceived as inferior to fine arts within art pedagogy and cultural narratives. This project aims to blur the binary between art and craft, integrating craft practices into pedagogy, exhibition, and cultural history writings.
BEADS' collaboration with MGM Foundation has paved the way for this visionary progframme that aims to run two intensive programmes on one of Odisha's crafts every year : An interdisciplinary residency programme followed by an intense 4 month fellowship programme fo document the craft and the communities practising it. A detailed research report will be published at the end of each year in the form of a book which will document the research by way of images , text and statistics.
Website : https://www.odishacraftodyssey.org
Odisha Craft
Odyssey
One Wall
Residency
We have curated a unique Artist Residency Program where artists and designers are invited to develop ideas and practices in a creative direction on a Wall literally!
The programme offers time, space, and opportunity to grow in a professional environment with a rich combination of artistic and professional resources. It is open to both medium-specific and cross-platform modes of creation that aim for the intersection of art and ideas.
The residency fosters a culture of rigorous practice and contemporary thought. In addition to focused work in the studio, residents attend gallery walks, museum visits, and workshops that support professional art practiceThe residency programme has successfully completed 2 editions with diverse art practitioners exploring different themes and concepts on the WALL.
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbPUbgpgeyGGi29o69zO_QMIZBeh2AO49
BEADS partnered with The Belgadia Palace in 2023 to conceptualise a unique 2 part travelling residency where an artist/designer worked closely with a local community and craft cluster as per the curatorial concept for a large part of the residency and then presented their final concept and artwork in Bhubaneswar after crystallising it at the BEADS studio. The programme was curated by the young curator duo of Sibdas Sengupta and Julius Das (who is also the lead designer for BEADS) and was titled ‘Traversing Binaries’.
In this residency , Mumbai based artist Rohit Kale spent 10 days at the Belgadia Palace in Mayurbhanj and worked closely with local sabai grass crafts community. He was accompanied by Julius Das for curatorial oversight. As a result of this collaboration the team evolved a new technique of writing text on sabai products which allowed the largely illiterate sabai craftswomen to write their names for the first time and come up with new products that leveraged this technique.
Rohit Kale presented his final works and collaboration process at a star studded event organised by BEADS at the Press Club of Odisha on July 9 , 2023. He was accompanied by the women of the sabai grass craft community who confirmed that the new text writing design development had helped them earn new orders.
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZmPcMsNeWk&t=50s