Svetlhdm at 12:01, 15 March 2026

2026-03-15T12:01:28Z

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{{Short description|Indian designer and educator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}{{Use Indian English|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Aditi Ranjan
| image = Aditi Ranjan at NID (cropped).png
| landscape =
| caption = Aditi Ranjan (née Shirali) at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad in 1977
| birth_name = Aditi Shirali
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|02|25|df=y}}
| alma_mater = [[National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Textile designer|author|design educator}}
| organization = [[National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad]]
| known_for = Textile design education
| notable_works = ''Handmade in India''<br>''Textile and Bamboo Crafts of the Northeastern Region''
| spouse = {{marriage|[[M. P. Ranjan]]|1981|2015|end=died}}
| awards = Kamala Samman Award with M. P. Ranjan
}}

'''Aditi Ranjan''' (née Shirali; born 25 February 1952) is an Indian textile designer, educator and researcher involved in the field of Indian crafts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-14 |title=Meet the nine grande dames of craft in India |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.in/story/meet-the-nine-grande-dames-of-craft-in-india/ |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=Architectural Digest India |language=en-IN}}</ref> She taught textile design at the [[National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad]] from 1974 to 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Design in India |url=https://bangaloreinternationalcentre.org/event/design-in-india/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Bangalore International Centre |language=en-GB}}</ref> Ranjan is known for her book ''Handmade in India: A Geographic Encyclopedia of Indian Handicrafts'' based on Indian arts & crafts that she edited along with her partner and fellow design pedagogue, [[M. P. Ranjan]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Kumar |first=Sujatha Shankar |date=2014-04-11 |title=Bonds with tradition |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/bonds-with-tradition/article5901741.ece |access-date=2022-08-11 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wangchuk |first=Rinchen Norbu |date=2022-04-08 |title=3 NID Grads Use Stories to Save Over 250 Dying Crafts & Help 200 Artisans Earn More |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/281772/gaatha-preserving-dying-traditional-indian-craft-e-commerce-nid/ |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=The Better India |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Work ==
[[File:Textile and Bamboo Crafts, A book by Aditi (née Shirali) Ranjan.jpg|left|thumb|233x233px|Front cover of ''Textile and Bamboo Crafts of the Northeastern Region'' (1983) by Aditi (née Shirali) Ranjan. Published by NID. |alt=Front cover of Textile and Bamboo Crafts of the Northeastern Region (1983) by Aditi (née Shirali) Ranjan. Published by NID.]]
She is involved in the study of weave structure and fabric construction. She also documents and researches on textiles, crafts, and the diverse material and visual [[culture of India]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Kumar |first=Sujatha Shankar |date=2015-08-14 |title=A tribute to the design wizard |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/homes-and-gardens/a-tribute-to-mp-ranjan/article7539850.ece |access-date=2022-08-11 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Exploring the People and Processes Behind India's Block Printing Tradition |url=https://thewire.in/books/eiluned-edwards-block-printing-review |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=The Wire}}</ref> Some of her notable works include:

* ''Textile and Bamboo Crafts of the Northeastern Region'' (1983)
* ''Chikankari Embroidery of Lucknow'' (1992) with [[Ashok Rai]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rai |first=Ashok |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Avx0PQAACAAJ |title=Chikankari Embroidery of Lucknow |last2=Ranjan |first2=Aditi |last3= |first3= |date=1992 |publisher=National Institute of Design |language=en}}</ref>
* ''Navalgund Durries of Karnataka'' (1992) with Chandrashekar Bheda<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bheda |first=Chandrashekar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5_gOAQAAMAAJ |title=Navalgund Durries of Karnataka |last2=Ranjan |first2=Aditi |last3=Design |first3=National Institute of |date=1992 |publisher=National Institute of Design |language=en}}</ref>
* ''Handmade in India: A Geographic Encyclopedia of Indian Handicrafts'' (2009) with her husband M. P. Ranjan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Crafts of India: Handmade in India by Aditi Ranjan; M.P. Ranjan: Good Hardcover (2014) {{!}} ThriftBooks-Atlanta |url=https://www.abebooks.com/9788188204571/Crafts-India-Handmade-Aditi-Ranjan-8188204579/plp |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=www.abebooks.com |language=en}}</ref>

Aditi Ranjan has been an educator in the discipline of textile design at the [[National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad]] since 1972.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-10-11 |title='Naturally Anuradha' boutique of organic handloom products opened in Guwahati - Sentinelassam |url=https://www.sentinelassam.com/guwahati-city/naturally-anuradha-boutique-of-organic-handloom-products-opened-in-guwahati-506243 |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=www.sentinelassam.com |language=en}}</ref> From 2011 to 2016, she was engaged in a research project on the textile traditions of the North-east India, with the support of the Outreach Programmes at [[National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad]] and commissioned by the [[Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts]] (IGNCA), Delhi.

Ranjan has also curated a private collection of saris and shawls for the textile gallery, the Ahmedabad Trunk at the House of MG, a heritage resort in Ahmedabad.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Design Thinking |url=https://designdesh.wordpress.com/tag/design-thinking/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Design thoughts |language=en}}</ref> ''Art of the loom'', an exhibition put up in 2019 at the Ahmedabad trunk, was a notable curatorial work by her. This exhibition showcased handloom textiles from the personal collection of Leena Sarabhai Mangaldas and Anjali Mangaldas.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Bagchi |first=Shrabonti |date=2019-01-12 |title=The sari specialists |url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/pdvB4RwBZ0sH8nAbxeoDAJ/The-sari-specialists.html |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=mint |language=en}}</ref>

=== Handmade in India ===

The book was written from 2002 to 2007. It offers a detailed documentation of India’s art and craft traditions. The project was conceptualised by the Ranjan duo and involved extensive fieldwork across the country. The book is an official directory of all the crafts and was published by the Department of Handicrafts, [[Ministry of Textiles]] and the [[Government of India]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Aditi and M.P. Ranjan |url=https://www.platform-mag.com/design/aditi-and-mp-ranjan.html |access-date=2022-08-09 |website=www.platform-mag.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=sumedh |date=2021-02-14 |title=Biography |url=https://dsource.in/showcase/prof-mp-ranjan/biography |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=D'Source |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Raje |first=Aparna Piramal |date=2020-12-11 |title=Creativity meets commerce |url=https://www.livemint.com/news/business-of-life/creativity-meets-commerce-11607612820602.html |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=mint |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tunstall |first=Elizabeth Dori |title=India: design futures of everyday pluralism |url=http://theconversation.com/india-design-futures-of-everyday-pluralism-26734 |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=The Conversation |language=en}}</ref> Aditi and M. P. Ranjan were honoured with the Kamala Samman Award in 2014 for the book.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />

== See also ==

* [[Channapatna toys]]
* [[M. P. Ranjan]]
* [[Helena Perheentupa]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{Commons category-inline|Aditi Ranjan}}
* {{YouTube|id=EMprYXgvjUs|title=Conversation on Design in India}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranjan, Aditi}}
[[Category:20th-century Indian designers]]
[[Category:Designers at National Institute of Design]]
[[Category:Academic staff of National Institute of Design]]
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian textile designers]]
[[Category:Indian art educators]]
[[Category:Indian women artists]]
[[Category:People from Ahmedabad]]
[[Category:Indian women art educators]]
[[Category:Indian women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian designers]]

Aditi Ranjan - Revision history

Svetlhdm at 12:01, 15 March 2026