Kalā was born with a vision to craft watches that tell stories through art. It started with one watch enthusiast, one art & design nerd, too many coffees, and one intention: to bring legacy-old, eternally beautiful art forms and heritage into the modern context of watchmaking.
After much consideration, no art form felt more fitting than Warli for the design of our debut watch, for two reasons. Warli, derived from the word Warla meaning “piece of land” or “field,” celebrates the harmony and coexistence of humans and nature through vivid portrayals of daily life in tribal villages and the animals that share their world. Originating in Maharashtra as early as the 10th century C.E., Warli is one of India’s oldest tribal art forms. Its timeless patterns and stories inspired us, and we felt a deep calling to pay tribute to this extraordinary heritage. But our connection to Warli runs deeper through our lead designer, who grew up in Thane, Maharashtra, and first learned the art of Warli painting at the age of six. Twenty years and two design degrees later, Warli remains the root of her journey as a visual artist and designer.
In an attempt to make sure we honour the roots of this art form and approach it with care and authenticity, we joined hands with Mr. Madhukar Janu Karpade, a Warli artist from the Palghar district of Maharashtra. We had an in-depth conversation with him to understand how we could support both the artists and their art in a respectful way, and gained valuable insights from him. He agreed to create hundreds of original hand-drawn Warli paintings for our merchandise (caps and tees), with all proceeds going directly to the artist. We make no profit from the merchandise products, other than fostering awareness of this community that has preserved this beautiful art form. Another way we’re doing this is through our little ‘Learn Warli!’ booklet, which each buyer receives with their watch or merchandise, with the hope of introducing the art form to anyone who’s curious.
Madhukar Janu Karpade
At Kalā, our mission is simple: to celebrate art for what it is, with the same genuine appreciation that we feel for it, ethically and honestly. We believe traditional art forms and heritage deserve recognition beyond the white cube of museums. We strive to be a platform for these art forms, drawing inspiration from them to create new work while giving credit where it’s due; unlike many larger brands and designers today, who, dishearteningly, often fail to do so. Our efforts, along with everything else, are a small attempt to reverse that damage too.
Looking ahead, we hope to work with more traditional art forms and heritage practices, paintings and beyond, like the intricate patterns of Ikat and Kalamkari to the maximalist typefaces on trucks or delicate narratives of Madhubani. With each release, just like our debut Warli Art Edition, we intend to honour the origins of these art forms, telling their story alongside our own.