Seema Gupta

Artisan Organization: Seema Gupta

Country: India

"Designing has always been my passion and my inspiration. My mother taught me. She wasn't a professional but she'd make pretty things at home with colors and blocks. Block printing by hand is a traditional art form of Jaipur. It gives textiles an additional beauty and enhances the look of the fabric.

"With hard work, passion, interest and creativity, I was able to master the art. Initially, I found designing to be a challenge but, eventually, I adapted myself to current trends while also keeping the virtue of my own imprint.

"I use 100 percent cotton, vegetable dyes and handmade blocks, which are all traditional and difficult to procure as they are expensive and can easily get damaged in use. Nature has always been my sole source of inspiration.

"Imagining a design is very easy but to make the design a reality is, I think, the most difficult aspect of any art form.

"These days, commercially-printed textiles have taken over the markets and, as a conscientious artisan, my goal is to promote hand block-printed goods and to educate people about its beauty and importance, especially youngsters. I want to provide quality, eco-friendly unique designs to people worldwide.""