Artist Vinay Narkar revives Maharashtra’s lost saree heritage through paintings

Renowned painter Vinay Narkar has launched a series of artworks that spotlight the dwindling textile traditions of Maharashtra, focusing especially on sarees that have slipped out of public memory. Narkar, who has exhibited across the state, says the project aims to document motifs, weaving techniques and regional colour palettes that are at risk of disappearing.

The artist meticulously studies archival photographs, surviving garments and oral histories before translating each element onto canvas. By recreating intricate borders, traditional paisley patterns and the distinctive cotton‑silk blends of districts such as Kolhapur and Nashik, he offers viewers a visual archive of a fading cultural legacy.

The collection, currently on display at a local gallery in Pune, has drawn attention from heritage activists and textile scholars who hope the visual exposure will spur renewed interest in reviving these crafts. Narkar hopes the paintings will inspire younger designers to incorporate historic motifs into contemporary fashion, thereby giving the forgotten sarees a new market.