Magic Carpet Ride to Germany

Magic Carpet Ride to Germany

When Odia girl Sheefalika Mishra, a postgraduate student of National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, won the Domotex International Carpet Award at Hannover, Germany, this year, in the young designer category, she was on top of the world.

She was the only one from among the 329 design students from all over the world to steal the show. Sheefalika was awarded a cheque of $1,000 and the hand-knotted rug of the design that she had submitted. ‘‘My art work drew inspiration from a diverse range of sources. The colours were inspired from the beautiful painting, ‘The Gate’ by German abstract expressionist Hans Hoffman. The form used was chevron, a universally time-honoured pattern. The treatment opted was an assemblage of pieces of coloured paper like mosaic art which gives depth and character to the piece. I was inspired by the current global eclectic approach in interior design,” explains Sheefalika, about how her design came about.

Sheefalika feels accessories for the home can become a powerful medium to narrate stories. The designer, who completed her graduation at NIFT Bangalore, wants to empower skilled communities, particularly weavers, at the grassroots level.

Inspired by her father and grandmother, Sheefalika says, “I will not restrict myself to one medium, but always take up challenges in different media.”

kasturi@newindianexpress.com

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