Welcome to The Art Blog
“The purpose of art is washing off the dust of daily life off our souls” – Pablo Picasso
Presenting 1000+ notes on the folk arts of Asia alongside the cultural stories contained within.
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~ Jaina Mishra
Jewels of the Pharoahs
Seen in the museum in Egypt. No words needed! *** A good selection of old Indian silver jewelry may be acquired on https://wovensouls.com *** jm / Oct 2025
Life of Student Monks
Revisiting the photos of student monks that I met in 2011. At the age of eighteen each gets to decide whether they will continue on this path or go back … Continue reading
Museum Walk, Kathmandu – Stone Art
Presenting just a set of photos taken in a museum in Durbar square, Kathmandu in 2022. Enjoy the visuals … Art is all around in the Himalayan region – e.g. … Continue reading
Museum City: Stone Art Outdoors / Kathmandu
Some cities have art everywhere you look. The others have museums. When you live surrounded by art, seeing it everywhere you go, without seeking it out, the mentality of the … Continue reading
Counting Passes in the Himalayas
There are hundred of passes or tops in the Himalayas. A small fraction of these have motorable roads built across them. And a smaller fraction of that fraction have been … Continue reading
If We Could Go Back in Time…
If we could go back in time, WHERE would you go? And to which era? This is a great question to ask but a terribly difficult one to answer! Because … Continue reading
Textiles in Jain Paintings
A glimpse of Antique Indian Textiles from Jain Kalpasutra manuscript paintings from Gujarat. Were these textiles printed? Were these woven? Were these embroideries? Are there any surviving examples of textiles … Continue reading
Look What They’re Wearing! Textiles from Temple Murals
One lazy afternoon in a small coastal town in Sri Lanka that I was staying in for 2 weeks. One afternoon, out of sense of ‘not much else to do’ … Continue reading
Places with Soul
Art for the Soul. The brilliant aura of such architectural art masterpieces seeps into one’s soul in such a permanent way that nothing can dull the lustre. EVER. So “Surround … Continue reading
Textile Art in the Colombo National Museum
“The pursuit of beauty shall save us all” There are a dozen different things we could pursue.. but this one is probably the most joyous and least stressful of them … Continue reading
Staircase to Heaven – The Dambulla Cave Temple
Exploring the Dambulla Cave Temple in Sri Lanka
Comb Art – Carved Masterpieces
A photo essay featuring artefacts from the Colombo National Museum
Flags of Sri Lanka
Many ancient Sri Lankan kingdoms had distinct flags featuring: Here are images of the collection of ancient flags from the Colombo National Museum: Note that almost all are monochromatic using … Continue reading
A Buginese Wedding in Sulawesi
A Buginese Wedding celebration… Sulawesi, 2024
Story in a Fragment
On a trip to Toraja (Indonesia) last year I collected a boxful of Indian trade textiles in fragmentary condition. Now that I look back at that serendipitous encounter with that … Continue reading
A Little Surprise in an Ersari Rug
My pattern of buying is probably less structured than that followed by most collectors. I put the cart before the horse … and the eyes decide for me. Once the … Continue reading
Mahakumbh – My Last Day
Last Day What actually happens at the Kumbh mela? I knew about the legend of the churning of the oceans – Sagar Manthan. The fight between the Devatas and the … Continue reading
Mahakumbh – Day 3 / Exhilaration
Day 3 – Experiencing the amazing atmosphere of exhilaration at the maha kumbh.
Mahakumbh – Day 2 / The Sadhus
Maha kumbh Day 2 – first interaction with Sadhus & Saints
The Maha Kumbh – 400 million people & me
Maha Kumbh mela with WOVENSOULS
