Five years ago the women artisans represented in The Katha Collection, shown recently at The Artists’ Center, Mumbai, began an extraordinary journey of personal expression. The journey is a manifestation of Kala Raksha’s ongoing story of comprehending the difference between artist and artisan and encouraging the creative capacity of the artist. Situated in Kutch, Kala Raksha is a grassroots social enterprise, involved in community development among 600 women from seven distinct ethnic groups. Kala Raksha’s goal is viewing traditional art as art — as it strives to value its aesthetic, conceptual and expressive aspects in addition to its materials and labour. Developing a narrative style in one path to this goal. Kala Raksha has also launched a design school, Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya, whose curriculum is based on the artisan’s own understanding of their work, and in which they are encouraged to develop their traditions holistically. Here, the cloth becomes a book becomes a book of tales.