Worn—A People’s History of Clothing: Sofi Thanhauser

Review by Susan T. LandryPublished by Penguin Random House, 2022, 400 pages. Forgive me for starting with a brief digression before I tell you about Worn by Sofi Thanhauser. There is a connection. Last summer, July 2021, I read All That She Carried by Tiya Miles, which was a literal eye-opener. She tells the story …

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Suraiya Hasan Bose—Weaving a Legacy: Radhika Singh

Published by Tarapress, 2019, 176 pages. “Suraiya Hasan Bose is a name inscribed into the craft map of Andhra Pradesh. It speaks of a lifetime of passion and commitment to the cause of handloom from pre-Independence India to the present day.” This book pays tribute to Suraiya Hasan Bose and her lifelong association with Indian …

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Frida Folk: Gaby Franger

Review by Sadhana Ramchander Book translated from German by Gita Wolf Frida Folk celebrates, in an unusual manner, the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, and her many ‘avatars’. This is indeed a fascinating book! It documents an unbelievable variety of interpretations of Frida­—the woman and the artist—by crafts-people and artists from all over the world. From …

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Turner—A Life: James Hamilton

My fascination with Turner’s paintings began in the late 1970s. I was in my late teens, and we had just moved to Delhi. Instead of buying me new clothes for an upcoming festival, my mother, very sensibly, took me to a bookshop. The first thing I saw as I walked in was a teetering pile …

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