An artistic collaboration with Maria Grazia Chiuri, the Dior Fall show on March 30, 2023 set the stage for another monumental installation by the Chanakya School of Craft — The Toran: an ephemeral, site-specific public artwork, the Chanakya Ateliers and Chanakya School of Craft, under the stewardship of Karishma Swali, imagined the 46-foot-tall installation as a poetic representation of the power of craft and community.

The Gateway, seen as a symbolic ceremonial entrance to India, serves as a fitting metaphor for this intimate collaboration, drawing from cross-cultural influences, heritage and traditional materials while paying heed to a collective passion for Indian craftsmanship. Drawing on their design vocabulary, the female artisans of the Chanakya School of Craft and the master artisans from the Chanakya Atelier handcrafted The Toran, with layers of social and cultural context, enabling them to express the world in a deeply nuanced yet intuitive way.

“Drawing on their own design vocabulary and each choosing which symbols of good fortune to integrate into the piece, the female artisans of the Chanakya School of Craft and the master-artisans from the Chanakya Atelier handcrafted the Toran as a communal activity. They have worked together over several months, required 35,000 hours of handwork to complete this piece and employed 25 craft techniques including phulkari, mirror work, french knotting, and kantha.

Elephants, mandalas, lotus, the kamadhenu, tigers, and peacocks adorn the beautiful Toran, welcoming guests and inviting them to discover India’s rich cultural heritage.”