A store dedicated to all things art, Siroi Lifestyle Goa is all about curated pieces of art and craft from India and across the world.
Sapna Kabra is extremely experienced, and she has great knowledge of working with murals, painting, art, and culture. Being a textile designer, an interior decorator, and a fashion designer herself, she had to put her passion on the plate and there was no better place than Goa. The rich heritage of Goa not only served her as a good platform but acted like the knight is shining armor to showcase her entire handmade collection. Sapna Kabra specializes in the field of art and design and Siroi is a reflection of her rare art and collections with a mix of handmade and traditional lifestyle products.
Sapna loves to travel and explore places. With every exploration, she was amused by the art and culture artisans of a particular place had to offer. But the sad truth is that Indian artisans don’t get the right platform or opportunity to showcase their strength. This moved Sapna and she was inspired to create a platform for the artisans to showcase their rareness and uniqueness. Hence, Siroi Lifestyle came into form to help those numerous artisans across India. Though, it is not as easy as it seems, she is all geared to pump the artisans time and again and has kept the platform accessible to all craftspeople.
Back then in the year 1987, Sapna was awarded with the State recognition for her textile inventiveness and textile printing. There were no digital prints earlier, people either used screen printing or rotary printing. Sapna was rewarded for her uniqueness of painting on a 20-foot cotton fabric. This appreciation boosted Sapna and she gave her imagination wings in the year 1991 in a small industrial town named Jalgaon. She started focusing on murals, hand painting, and mixed media fields. Adding to her laurels, she participated in many society exhibitions and many renowned people like Mr. Godrej inaugurated her exhibition.
In 2001, she chose to host her exhibition at Mumbai’s Standard Chartered Gallery. She also conducted exhibitions in Singapore, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. She primarily worked on murals and mixed-media artworks in Jalgaon. She believed that every art form contains inspiration. During working in Jalgaon, she realized she needed to get out and explore society for more creativity, where she would have to manage everything on her own. And then she started doing hand paints and collaborated with Femina magazine. Post that she launched her first boutique in Jalgaon.
The store features a carefully curated selection of home décor, accessories and art pieces, all of which are handpicked by Kabra from different parts of the world. In future, Siroi plans to promote these artisans through online sessions and conduct workshops to upgrade their skills.
Sapna draws inspiration from art and artisans across the world. Though, she loves to showcase the uniqueness of the artisans of India, she had to look at and appreciate the artisans from around the world. Sapna’s collection includes items from India, Mexico, Mauritius, Kenya, Indonesia, and Bali, among other places. She believes that India is a multifaceted nation, and she wants to exhibit the varied and rich culture and art. Not one piece of art is the same, she has got remarkable artworks from artists from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Jaipur to Shantiniketan and she has gone far and beyond to look fetch the uniqueness of culture to depict people.
But, her deep gratitude for Goa culture and its garment called “Kunbi” is implausible. That’s her main reason to have a store in Goa. She is currently working with about 20-25 artists who work on terracotta and ceramics and their ceramic work is an experience in its way. Earlier, Sapna used to conduct workshops for these artisans, where they got a chance to speak about their art however, it didn’t gain much popularity
In this digital era, Sapna aims to conduct online workshops with these artisans to exhibit their rich culture, unexplored art, and uniqueness to people. Sapna says “Art and artisans can’t be bought ever, what we pay is our way of appreciating it. “At Siroi, our ethos goes beyond mere profit margins. We are committed to creating a thriving community of artisans, driven by a shared passion for craftsmanship. Our purpose is to empower and connect artisans, providing a platform where they can inspire and be inspired, fostering a rich ecosystem of creativity and collaboration.”
Read the full story that first appeared in Seema Magazine here:
