The Making

In tune with our mission, Kanvas creates products that celebrate Indian ethnic designs. Our products are unique and attractive. We’ve got a huge range to serve all your casual and formal needs. We design all styles for men and women. The design is intricate, beautiful and inspired by diverse styles of art and painting in India.

handmade-designer-shoes-for-men-and-women

Indian art, as we know it now, has its roots spread across thousands of years, the earliest forms coming from around 3500 BC. As a country, India gained massive respect from it's broad cultural heritage acquired over this period.

Art and artists in India have had an astounding affect on Indian culture, traditions and history. On the other side of the coin it is this fascinating history which has resulted in one of the most complex and varied art histories of any country.

The paintings make up one of the most diverse collections of paintings of any nation on earth all of which tremendously influenced by local cultures, climates, social practices and religions.

Madhubani Paintings 

Originating from in the state of Bihar, these kinds of paintings were patronized by village women who turned their thoughts into art. These kinds of paintings became very popular and have become an integral part of the Indian community.

Madhubani designs by ruler expert artisans of india

Mughal Paintings

This style of art was popularized by the then rulers of India, the Mughals. These were in the time frame of 16th – 19th centuries. The Mughal style of Indian art paintings was primarily focused on Persian and Islamic styles and content. They mastered the work on walls, frescos and architectural paintings.

mughal print loafers for men design inspired by mughal architecture

Kalamkari

Kalamkari is an ancient style of hand painting done on cotton or silk fabric with a tamarind pen, using natural dyes. The word Kalamkari is derived from a Persian word where ‘kalam‘ means pen and ‘kari‘ refers to craftsmanship. This art involves 23 tedious steps of dyeing, bleaching, hand painting, block printing, starching, cleaning and more. Motifs drawn in Kalamkari spans from flowers, peacock, paisleys to divine characters of Hindu epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana. 

kalamkari hand painted motifs

Gond

Gond paintings are a form of painting from folk and tribal art that is practiced by one of the largest tribes in India with whom it shares its name. Gond comes from the Dravidian expression, Kondwhich means ‘the green mountain’. While Gond paintings are considered to be from predominantly from Madhya Pradesh, it is also quite common in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh and Odisha. 

gond art painting by artisans of gond india

Block Printing

Block printing is the process of printing patterns on textiles, usually of linen, cotton or silk, by means of incised wooden blocks. It is the earliest, simplest and slowest of all methods of textile printing. Block printing by hand is a slow process. It is, however, capable of yielding highly artistic results, some of which are unobtainable by any other method. Block printing is an ancient art form in India and we at Kanvas love to continue the much beloved ancient art form and carry on the legacy of Block Printing.

block printed designs by artisans of Bagru Rajasthan India

Mandala

Mandala 'circle' is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the Universe. The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T. Mandalas often exhibiting radial balance. The term is of Sanskrit origin. In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any diagram, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe.

mandala designs by indian arts

Ajrakh

Ajrakh symbolizes nature and its bounty. Traditional colors of Ajrak prints were deep, intense and represented qualities of Nature. e.g. crimson red for earth, indigo blue for twilight etc. Black and white were used sparingly and only to outline motifs and give definition. It started with colors from elements in nature, like indigo or blue from the indigo plant, red from alizarin found in roots of madder plants, black from iron shavings, molasses and millet flour with the addition of tamarind seeds to thicken the color or dye.

ajrakhpur india designer fabric best seller textile

Shoemaking

When it comes to handmade shoemaking, the shoemaker needs to have a number of different tools, as each is typically limited for something specific and a particular style of shoe. The edge iron, for example, is used to set the sole edges; the process is meant to create a straight, hard, and even surface to the edges.

shoe making process by skilled artisansIn order to obtain the most exquisite finish and the proper refinement for a classic shoe by excellent you can’t take shortcuts. Each and every shoes at Kanvas Kloset is imprinted with the essence of a centuries-old tradition that still survives thanks to the skill of the best craftsmen in the world. A very rigorous manufacturing process and great detail that is essential to offer our most demanding customers that require handmade shoes of the highest quality. We not only want to tell you, but also to show you.