Martand Singh: The master of weaves

A generation of designers remembers the textile revivalist who took India to the world

Design curator and writer Mayank Mansingh Kaul says that Martand Singh “Mapu” was foundational to his work. “For my generation, his work was the benchmark that brought the rigour of thorough research and expert execution together, with great imaginative and creative leaps,” he says. 

It’s hard to think of national icons outside politics, movies and sports but in the passing of Singh, there’s an outpouring of grief from the art and fashion fraternity. From the 1980s to the 1990s, he was India’s leading exponent of textiles, and he shaped notions of contemporary India within the country as well as abroad,