Published Paper Details:

With an emphasis on its usage as a cultural dialogue and historical reflection, this research paper examines the changing function of needlework in modern Indian art. The research looks at how needlework, which was one thought of as a domestic craft, has been reclaimed as a means of resistance and storytelling through the works of Dr. Paula Sengupta and Lavanya Mani. While Mani's textile-based works question the politics of fabric, trade and postcolonial identity, Sengupta's approach, uses Nakshi Kantha embroidery to explore issues of displacement, Partition, and colonial legacies. These artists question historical narratives and reinterpret embroidery as an active medium of socio-political participation by fusing traditional embroidery techniques with modern conceptual frameworks. This paper highlights how embroidery continues to be a dynamic and critical medium fostering dialogue between past and present in India's cultural landscape.