Chhonya Hosto Shilpo is a Bangladeshi organization situated in Jessore. Founded in 2003, Chhonya Hosto ShiIpo was an impression by Xeverian Fr. Giovanni Abbiati (ITALY). The independent organization is run by 8 women including the founder Totini Saha, and aims to provide financial sustainability to marginalized women of the society.

Chhonya is a movement which fights poverty by focusing on girls and women, in order to facilitate the path to achieving dignity, honor and security through the art and tradition of Kantha embroidery. Totini Saha, and her young embroiders Niharun, Rehana, Sabina, Sharmin & ShiuIi met Tarshito in 2014 and they started working together realizing new inspiring worlds through the art of embroidery.

​

Since then, Tarshito has continued his cooperation with Ms. Totini Saha and decided to create a new group of artworks. Chhonya handpicks female artisans among the best trained hand embroiders of Jessore district in Bangladesh. These groups are specialized in handicrafts and particularly in traditional nakshi kantha embroidery. Over 300 village and urban women are now directly producing goods with Chhonya Hosto Shilpo.

​

The Red thread of Bangladesh features new works of embroidery by Koruna Saha, Tania Khatun, Lucky Begum, Shahinoor Begum, Rony Begum, Rohima Begum, Sonia Begum, Fulmoti Begum, Khadiza Khatun, Rizia Begun, Lipi Begum, Arjina Begum, Amena Begum, Ratna Begum and Rumi Khatun from Chhonya Hosto Shilpo in the village of Hudarajapur of Jessore in collaboration with the Italian artist and traveler Nicola Strippoli, popularly known by his Sanskrit name Tarshito - meaning "thirst for inner knowledge".

 

 

Exhibition Dates: 24 February – 09 March 2018