PADMAJA
PADMAJA KRISHNAN
INDIA
Padmaja Krishnan is inspired by the single-layered garments called Ke sa stitched together by Buddhist monks from rags and discarded clothing. Her garments are created through an intense process of collecting unwanted industrial scraps, rearranging them, and sewing first by hand and then machine.
By redefining the useless and discarded, choosing techniques that are slow, mindful and finding effects in defects, Padmaja endeavours to break the tedium of mass manufacture and create subversive, avant garde, classic yet modern clothing and textiles.
The upcycled creations at the studio show that ‘taking care’ can be beautiful. It follows the native tradition of respecting the things we have instead of wanting more.
These textiles are an ode to the transience of things, the flowing of time and a sort of rustic beauty - that imperfect and aged objects are often the most beautiful. They carry the beautiful symbolism of where we come from and where we hopefully go to as a world society.
Padmaja Krishnan, is an artist engaged in creating new narratives around textiles, clothing and culture that are timeless and beyond trends.
Inspired by the unexpected-everyday-effortless, and a belief that simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication, Padmaja makes clothing essentials that bring beauty, comfort and value to the wearer.
Through intense collaborations with artisanal communities, playful explorations of natural materials and handmade processes Padmaja weaves a modern design language for traditional Indian textiles while maintaining a deep respect for the environment and the maker.
Showed at the IOTA21 Fashion Event
Curiosity and the Cloth
Sunday 19 September 2021, 6.30pm
A fashion event like no other. Featuring designers from Kenya, India, Malaysia, and Thailand alongside First Nations designers from Western Australia & Northern Territory.
Boola Bardip, WA Museum
Perth Cultural Centre, WA 6000