Masland, a humble reed mat, is woven by a small community of weavers in the lush green villages of Pashchim Medinipur, West Bengal. This mat weaving practice, like any other craft, reflects the artisan's ingenuity in the handling of a simple local raw material, and his natural creativity seen in the aesthetic and purposeful shaping of these beautiful mats.
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This project documents the journey, undertaken by me along with a classmate, Sayan Chanda (https://www.behance.net/sayanchanda) , to study this craft and its people, to discover and learn from their stories. The document aims to highlight the intimacy with materials, the simplicity of approach, the ability to ascribe value to an object of every day use, that manifests itself in these Masland mats.