tirchi raah

The Design Story

tirchi raah

Tirchi Raah
This Manchaha carries a familiar rhythm and an unfamiliar restraint. Shakuntala and Akshita, a mother-daughter duo, return to their signature chevron language, but here it is repositioned, framing the surface rather than commanding it. For the first time, the duo chose to work largely in neutral tones. Greys, softened blacks, and muted earth colors replace their usual palette. This shift was new for both of them, and the rug retains that sense of careful exploration. The weaving begins from the bottom. This is a space of discussion and trial — confusion, correction, and conversation between mother and daughter. Moving upward, the composition is interrupted by a strong diagonal plane. Akshita introduced this turn, inspired by the unfinished bridge she crosses daily on her bus route to college. The slanted form cuts through the rug like a road still being built. Beneath and around this structure, linear bands suggest pathways and movement. The bridge does not arrive at a destination; it simply spans. In contrast, Shakuntala’s presence appears in softer forms. Small, scattered floral motifs emerge quietly within the field. These are not decorative additions, but part of her natural way of weaving, drawn from fields, roadsides, and uncultivated spaces. The flowers grow where they can, without symmetry or insistence. At the top, the chevrons return, steady and familiar, holding the composition together. Between construction and growth, "Tirchi Raah" (Diagonal Way) becomes a shared landscape. It records a moment where one generation moves ahead, another remains rooted, and both continue weaving on the same loom.

akshita chandel