Deep Dyes, Deep Roots, Pallavi Sarup @hameshaproject
- Kindred Curiosity
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Meet Pallavi Sarup, the founder of Hamesha Project, where ancestral South Asian craft, natural dyes, and intentional community come together to create space for connection and cultural expression. Pallavi found her path through a natural dye workshop in Oaxaca—an experience that transformed the way she approached creativity and heritage, both for herself and others.
What began as a personal journey of curiosity and discovery has grown into a practice rooted in accessibility, education, and community.
Through thoughtfully curated workshops, craft kits, and gatherings, Hamesha Project invites people to slow down, learn and honor South Asian crafts, and awaken their inner artist.
What made you curious about the crafting and arts business?
I loved the intersection of ancestral tradition and craft. Typically when we think of fiber arts & textiles they can be pretty white dominated spaces. A few years ago I attended a natural dye and weaving workshop in Oaxaca that wove tradition with craft so beautifully. It was amazing to visit the stay in the village where the craft originated. That sparked curiosity to learn more about my own ancestral craft traditions.
Tell us about the product/service you are most proud of.
I’m most proud of my foraging & South Asian natural dye workshops. I love getting people to nurture their relationship to nature and also their inner artist. It’s a beautiful expression of my practice as an artist that I love to gift to people.
What are your top 3 business tools?
Notion, Asana, and email!
If you could go back in time and tell your past self anything, what would it be?
Keep at it. It’s hard and grueling, but it’ll transform you in ways you never thought possible. So much beauty is ahead.
How has your cultural identity influenced your journey so far?
It’s informed so much! The medium I’ve chosen, the community I align with, and the art I hope to continue to create. I work so hard to give back to that very community.
Your mission centers on honoring South Asian crafts while making them more accessible to the diaspora and beyond. How do you balance cultural preservation with creating playful, modern experiences that invite people into these traditions for the first time?
I think it organically happens out of necessity. I’ll never be able to achieve the skill and breadth that the traditional artisans have, and nor do I want to. I have to find ways to make the craft accessible to the modern human. One who has to navigate the confines of capitalism and all that comes with it. I also have to form my own relationship with the craft, which means blending symbols and inspiration that come from within. Those two things inevitably create playful, contemporary interpretations of the craft that bring something new to a traditional art form. I think that’s part of cultural progression, and can be a beautiful thing if done respectfully. I always try and give context to the craft that I’m teaching, so that people can hold those crafts with respect.
At the heart of Hamesha Project is the belief that craft is community. How do your kits and events create spaces for connection—across generations, cultures, and personal histories—and what does that impact mean to you?
My events and programming and craft kits all provide opportunity for the community! It’s been lovely to see how people connect through the different events that I host. To see South Asian people resonate and see themselves in the offerings I put out, but also people of all backgrounds come together to learn something new.
You’re launching a collaborative workshop series called Foraged to Fabric, which was previously hosted as one-off events. What excites you most about expanding it into a series, and how does it build on what you learned from the original event? What challenges have come up as you bring a multi-session experience to life?
It just wrapped up! It was so lovely to be able to teach with more depth, and to form relationships over time. The bond amongst all the students was super evident of all that. I’m excited to see how people continue to connect and make art with these new skills.
What is the last thing you were curious about?
Curious about the intersection of therapy and art. How the intersection of the two things can open up pathways for healing that the two separately cannot. Accupuncture and Ariana Grande. CBT and contemporary dance. EMDR and Ecotherapy.
What can the community help you with?
Community is everything! Community helps open up opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t be there. Helps connect you with the right people that can lead to the right job, commission, event, etc.
Share another Asian-women-owned small business or entrepreneur that inspires you!
@Menminmade! Paulina Hoong
Hamesha Project reminds us that craft is, and always has been, a powerful tool for community. Through craft kits and natural dye workshops, Pallavi is redefining what it means to engage with traditional crafts today.
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