About Zwende

Zwende is based out of Bangalore in India and is on a mission to sustain heritage Indian arts and crafts. This collection is inspired by a very unique confluence of two heritage Indian artforms - Leather Puppetry from Andhra Pradesh and Madhubani art from Bihar. Long before TVs were invented, leather puppetry (shadow puppetry) was a major form of story telling in Andhra Pradesh. Hand-Painted leather puppets were made to dance in backlit stages. As the leather is translucent, this would create a warm glow around the puppets. Patterned holes on these puppets would make the light sparkle through like jewellery. Over time, as these puppet shows saw a decline, the artform found a natural extension to lampshades. The designs are all inspired by Madhubani art, which was earlier done on mud walls in the villages of Bihar. This artform is very uniquely extended to bags and wallets, making it the only collection of its kind in the world. Each product is hand-painted on leather by skilled artisans. The bags and accessories are all handcrafted by master craftsmen in India. Each of these products is available in wide range of colors and designs - from subtle hues of grey and blue to bold hues of mustard yellow and green. Zwende's work has been featured in leading Indian publications such as The Hindu and YourstoryRead their story