As part of The NCA Triennale 2025, a 10 day workshop titled “Papier Mache -The Craft of Kashmir” was conducted by Khawaja Amir Rasheed at the Tollinton Block. The workshop brought together students, artisans, and enthusiasts to engage with one of South Asia’s most intricate and historically rich crafts.
Participants explored every stage of the papier mache process, from preparing the paper pulp and shaping forms to layering, burnishing, and hand painting motifs inspired by Kashmiri tradition. Under Rasheed’s guidance, the workshop became a space of dialogue between heritage and contemporary art making, where texture, colour, and form intertwined to tell stories of cultural continuity and transformation.
The initiative aligned beautifully with the NCA Triennale’s vision of celebrating artistic practices that merge craft and contemporary expression. Each piece created during the workshop stood as a testament to the enduring relevance of indigenous knowledge and the power of making by hand, echoing the triennale’s broader narrative of revival, reflection, and reimagining through art.
