Bhubaneswar, 23.09.20 – Odisha Craft Odyssey (OCO), the pioneering cultural initiative by the MGM Foundation and the Bhubaneswar Experimental Art and Design Studio (BEADS), successfully hosted its second research exhibition, The Popular Pipli: Threads of Memory, Networks of Power, curated by Sibdas Sengupta. The event took place at Lalit Kala Akademi, Bhubaneswar, on September 21, 2025, drawing audiences into a unique exploration of Odisha’s living heritage.
Unlike conventional craft exhibitions, OCO’s showcase highlighted the outcomes of an extensive research survey carried out in close collaboration with artists, researchers, and Pipli’s appliqué artisans. This second open studio marked the public culmination of the 2025 residency program, which focused on reinterpreting the vibrant craft traditions of Pipli through a rigorous research-based approach.
The residency embedded three contemporary practitioners Madhulika S. Naidu, Rhea Moras, and Raj Maurya within the Pipli artisan community. Each brought a distinct perspective: Madhulika S. Naidu mapped the historical evolution of Pipli appliqué through motifs, techniques, and social hierarchies, culminating in an installation that allowed multiple craft epistemologies to coexist. Rhea Moras examined stitching techniques as forms of embodied knowledge, amplifying women’s voices and collective authorship through participatory projects. Raj Maurya employed archival methods and cyanotype to document labour networks in Pipli appliqué, reflecting on memory, absence, and the repetitive nature of craft-making.
Their collective research unraveled the deeper social, cultural, and political layers of Pipli appliqué, positioning the craft as both a subject of academic inquiry and a source of contemporary artistic innovation.
Beyond the exhibition itself, OCO continues to shape a broader cultural vision. Its long-term agenda includes the creation of a comprehensive encyclopedic website serving as a living archive, advocacy for craftspersons, support for policy interventions, research grants, and an annual conference to disseminate findings. As Advisory Board member Siddhartha Mohanty noted, the knowledge generated by OCO’s residencies is designed not only to preserve but also to empower craft communities.
Curator Sibdas Sengupta emphasized that the exhibition sought to move beyond romanticized narratives of Pipli appliqué: “The exhibition, as a whole, challenges the celebrated image of Pipli appliqué, revealing the politics of its popularity and proposing counter-narratives to its identity.”
Advisory Board member Sandeep Hota echoed the importance of the initiative, describing it as a privilege to be part of an effort that deepens critical engagement with living craft traditions and ensures artisans’ knowledge systems and evolving realities are recognized and valued.
The project’s visionary, Premjish Achari, summarized OCO’s mission: “This is about more than preservation—it’s about innovation and creating a sustainable future for these crafts. By highlighting the documentation and collaborations from this residency, the exhibition demonstrated OCO’s commitment to blurring the boundaries between art and craft, and between tradition and innovation.”
The second open studio not only celebrated the Pipli artisans’ skill and resilience but also presented a model for how tradition and innovation can mutually enrich each other. In doing so, it reaffirmed OCO’s dedication to ensuring Odisha’s craft heritage remains relevant, dynamic, and economically viable for generations to come.
The Odisha Craft Odyssey (OCO) is a collaborative program between the MGM Foundation and BEADS (Bhubaneswar Experimental Art and Design Studio) that seeks to create an inclusive cultural platform for highlighting the craft practices of Odisha. It aims to challenge the conventional hierarchies between fine arts and crafts by integrating traditional practices into contemporary artistic and academic contexts.
