Purnachandra ghosh

Purnachandra Ghosh is a gifted artisan who has been working on a special applique method which is unique to a geographic region in India. An artist based in Pipli, near Bhubaneshwar, India, Purnachandra Ghosh has been working on this style for over two decades.
An enchanting ancient method of applique locally called Chandua, this art form ascribes its origin to the Jagannath temple practices. The rituals and traditions of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are closely intertwined with this at form. Patronized by kings and nobility of Orissa, this applique work reached the artistic heights of excellence when the kings engaged craftsmen in the service of Lord Jagannath and set up village Pipli for them to live in. And now, this town of Pipli in Orissa, between Bhubaneswar and Puri, is known for its exquisite applique work. The work can best be described as an enchanting form of fabric-based patchwork, well known for its geometric motifs and stylized birds, animals and flowers cut out of brightly coloured cloth and sewn on contrasting backgrounds. The typical traditional motifs are varied yet fixed in their colours and representations. Motifs ranging from the geometric, abstract and figures from actual life forms are stylized to form versions of social, natural, astral and mythological characters and objects.