ISTANBUL

In a city shaped by trade routes, migration, and centuries of artistic exchange, a new exhibition has opened in Istanbul that brings the textile traditions of India into dialogue with Türkiye’s cultural fabric.

More than a display of craftsmanship, the exhibition invited visitors to experience how two ancient cultures continue to communicate through color, texture, and the patient labor of the hand.

Textiles have long been a powerful form of storytelling in both countries, serving as memory, identity, and artistry, where spirituality, daily life, and generational knowledge quietly endure.

The exhibition, Woven Legacies - Celebrating India’s Textile Heritage, demonstrates how craft can bridge histories that are often overlooked.

India and Türkiye have been connected for centuries through trade, artistic influences, and the movement of people, and these ties emerge vividly in textile traditions: shared techniques, similar motifs, parallel weaving structures, and a mutual admiration for the handmade.

Showcasing centuries of craft

The collection spans centuries and regions. Kashmir Loom, founded by Jenny Housego and Asaf Ali in Srinagar in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, highlights the region’s shawl-making traditions. Combining heritage with innovation, Kashmir Loom pieces reflect Srinagar’s natural beauty and meticulous craftsmanship.

Contemporary Indian design is represented by Injiri, a brand inspired by historic Madras checkered textiles exported to West Africa. Injiri celebrates hand-weaving in women’s clothing and home textiles, connecting tradition with modern aesthetics.

Designer Tarun Tahiliani offers a different vision. His creations blend India’s heritage of draped forms with global, contemporary silhouettes. Each piece embodies Tahiliani’s philosophy, “all that we were and more,” emphasizing the continuity of craft across generations.

Historical pieces from Varanasi and Gujarat enrich the exhibition. Mid-20th-century woven silk sarees, a traditional Indian garment, and dupattas, a long shawl-like scarf, featuring gilt metal threads and chevron motifs, display technical mastery and visual richness.

Early 20th-century chogas, long-sleeved outer garments, and sherwanis, long-sleeved outer coats worn by men, showcase intricate floral and paisley designs, combining elegance with courtly aesthetics.

Together, these textiles illustrate how India’s craft traditions have preserved history while influencing contemporary design.

Turkish perspectives on heritage

Turkish perspectives complement the exhibition. Visitors can see parallels between Indian weaving and Turkish textile heritage, from carpets to silk embroideries, through the pieces of Seref Ozen, a leading antique textile expert from Istanbul.

The exhibition’s impact goes beyond aesthetics. It encourages visitors to engage with the human effort behind each piece, some taking years to complete.

Curatorial vision with cultural connection

The exhibition was curated by Serra Oruc, who draws on a lifetime immersed in textile heritage.

Oruc told Anadolu that her personal journey, from sourcing carpets in India with her grandfather to curating exhibitions of Anatolian culture, shaped the Istanbul show.

She emphasized that preserving cultural heritage is not just about exhibitions, but also about sustaining it in daily life.

"That’s why we invited these designers. Because cultural heritage today can also become something we can wear—a shawl we can put on, or even a more elegant dress we might want to wear to a party,” she said.

For India’s consul general in Istanbul, Shri Mijito Vinito, the exhibition represents more than art.

“We thought, how about let’s go deeper? Let’s explore our connections. What is the textile? … The story is told through culture, through textiles. That story is told through textiles,” Vinito told Anadolu, emphasizing that the initiative is part of a wider cultural outreach program designed to deepen ties between India and Türkiye.

He emphasized the exhibition’s cultural dimension: “We wanted to share how India’s tradition, our heritage still informs the present. The past hasn’t been forgotten. The past is very much a part of the present.”

Speaking on the India-Türkiye ties and stressing the mutual appreciation for craftsmanship and cultural heritage, Vinito added: “People will identify with each other. They will connect, … and they will realize that there’s much more. Our common history is real.”

The exhibition offers a reminder that cultural heritage survives not only in museums but also in the shared practices, histories, and creative exchanges.