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Deviben is one of Kala Raksha’s youngest artisans. Born in Vandh, she grew up with the NGO. Deviben learned embroidery while attending school, but after the earthquake of 2001, when she was in 4th grade she left formal education. She attended Kala Raksha education classes and now is proficient in Hindi as well as Gujarati.

An avid learner, Deviben has attended Kala Raksha design workshops with Krishna Patel, Laurance, Sangita Shroff and The Creative Thread Trust (France). She is proud that through Kala Raksha her work has found international as well as domestic markets.

Deviben is one of the few young women who embroider for sale today. She thinks independently. The future of embroidery is in commercial use, she says. Earning lasts longer than the clothes we make for ourselves. And today, Rabari fashion is about quantity. This may well insure the future of Rabari work, but Devi believes that a little good embroidery is better than a lot of ordinary work. A ... Show more

Deviben is one of Kala Raksha’s youngest artisans. Born in Vandh, she grew up with the NGO. Deviben learned embroidery while attending school, but after the earthquake of 2001, when she was in 4th grade she left formal education. She attended Kala Raksha education classes and now is proficient in Hindi as well as Gujarati.

An avid learner, Deviben has attended Kala Raksha design workshops with Krishna Patel, Laurance, Sangita Shroff and The Creative Thread Trust (France). She is proud that through Kala Raksha her work has found international as well as domestic markets.

Deviben is one of the few young women who embroider for sale today. She thinks independently. The future of embroidery is in commercial use, she says. Earning lasts longer than the clothes we make for ourselves. And today, Rabari fashion is about quantity. This may well insure the future of Rabari work, but Devi believes that a little good embroidery is better than a lot of ordinary work. A good artisan concentrates, she says. The ability to think and the will to do good work are the artist’s trademarks.

In 2005, Deviben attended the pilot course of Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya. She studied colour, basic design, market orientation, concepts and presentation.

Deviben and her Garden collection graced the ramp. And Deviben won the award for Most Promising artisan of the year! She went on to win a Crafts Council Kamla Award, and later served as a mentor and design intern at Kala Raksha.

After recently marrying, Deviben has started her own group at her in-laws' village, and they work with Kala Raksha.
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Kala Raksha Trust, a grassroots social enterprise, is dedicated to preservation of traditional arts. We envision this broadly, as holistic encouraging of the creative capacity of the artist. Comprising artisans, community members, and experts in the fields of art, design and museums, Kala Raksha was founded on artisan initiative in 1993 in the desert region Kutch, in India. Uniquely committed to documenting existing traditions, the Trust maintains a collection of heirloom textiles housed as a local Museum. Artisans participated in establishing this Museum. Thus it embodies a simple but revolutionary concept: involve people in presenting their own cultures. Artisan initiative and participation continue to be the ... Show more

Kala Raksha Trust, a grassroots social enterprise, is dedicated to preservation of traditional arts. We envision this broadly, as holistic encouraging of the creative capacity of the artist. Comprising artisans, community members, and experts in the fields of art, design and museums, Kala Raksha was founded on artisan initiative in 1993 in the desert region Kutch, in India. Uniquely committed to documenting existing traditions, the Trust maintains a collection of heirloom textiles housed as a local Museum. Artisans participated in establishing this Museum. Thus it embodies a simple but revolutionary concept: involve people in presenting their own cultures. Artisan initiative and participation continue to be the pillars of Kala Raksha's work. Artisan Design Committees create exquisite contemporary work based in their traditions. Artisan Pricing Committees establish fair wages. Finally, artisans participate in sale of their work, linking them directly to their market. What Kala Raksha preserves is the essence of art. Traditions are preserved when they flourish. Show less