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Salmabai was born in Sumrasar Jatwali. Her father makes charcoal and does manual labor. Her mother embroiders for Kala Raksha. She has two sisters and three brothers. She is the 2nd child. Salmabai’s grandfather Ibrahimbhai has been Kala Raksha’s Jat embroidery coordinator since 1998.
Salmabai did not attend school. She went to the local madrasa for a while but left because she felt the mulana was not good. She learned to read and write through Kala Raksha basic education classes. Two years ago, she began to learn embroidery. She learned by herself, watching. She and four our five other girls sit at Fatmabai’s house and practice. So far, she has not done traditional embroidery for herself, but she says she knows it. Salmabai has not traveled beyond Kutch so far.

For her, art is important. “My art is my livelihood, my capability, and a means to independence,” she says. She feels that a good artisan does good work and can answer correctly. ... Show more

Salmabai was born in Sumrasar Jatwali. Her father makes charcoal and does manual labor. Her mother embroiders for Kala Raksha. She has two sisters and three brothers. She is the 2nd child. Salmabai’s grandfather Ibrahimbhai has been Kala Raksha’s Jat embroidery coordinator since 1998.
Salmabai did not attend school. She went to the local madrasa for a while but left because she felt the mulana was not good. She learned to read and write through Kala Raksha basic education classes. Two years ago, she began to learn embroidery. She learned by herself, watching. She and four our five other girls sit at Fatmabai’s house and practice. So far, she has not done traditional embroidery for herself, but she says she knows it. Salmabai has not traveled beyond Kutch so far.

For her, art is important. “My art is my livelihood, my capability, and a means to independence,” she says. She feels that a good artisan does good work and can answer correctly. Salmabai believes that Jat embroidery will increase if the work is good.

In 2009, Salmabai came to Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya on her own. “I wanted to learn new designs,” she says. She applied her mind, and gathered her courage. Extremely shy at first, she learned to express herself with both needle and word. “I learned to embroider with thinking,” she says. Salmabai’s fresh garment collection won her the award for Most Promising Artisan.

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Salmabai Ismailbhai Jat's Featured Product

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