Hand Block Printing Workshop
Date: 26 June, Friday
Venue: Kota Cafe, Staalstraat 14H, Amsterdam-Centrum
Time: 17:00-19:30 pm
Small group setting to be personal
Somewhere in Rajasthan, or perhaps Gujarat, a block-carver has spent decades carving intricate floral patterns into wood. His father did the same before him. Perhaps his neighbours too. The printing block you'll hold during this workshop may well come from that lineage.
This workshop is an invitation into the story, technique, and living tradition of Indian block printing. More than just a printing method, block printing is a craft shaped by skilled hands, natural inspirations, carved wood, carefully mixed pigments, and generations of knowledge passed down over time. We bring a piece of this heritage to a cosy café in Amsterdam, where you can experience the process for yourself over cups of chai and delicious bites.
Kota Café collaborates with Madhavi Sahu, a brand and design strategist with a lifelong connection to handcrafted textiles. Having grown up surrounded by block-printed fabrics, studied design, and spent years exploring the value of handmade creation in a mass-produced world, Madhavi will guide you through this interactive 2.5-hour workshop, sharing both the craft and the stories behind it.
You'll leave with a Kota-branded canvas tote, hand-printed by you, and your contribution to a collective community textile that will remain on display at Kota—a shared artwork created by everyone who joined us that day.
How the afternoon unfolds
A little discovery, a little creation.
Welcome in. Settle down. Aprons on.
The story of hand block printing
Madhavi will guide the room through the history of this centuries-old craft—where it comes from, how it evolved, and why it continues to matter today.
Practice on paper
Ink the block. Press. Lift. See what emerges. Repeat until the rhythm feels natural and the process becomes your own.
Print your tote bag
Once you're comfortable with the technique, move onto canvas and create a hand-printed Kota tote to take home.
Create something together
Each participant will add a print to a shared community textile. This collective artwork will remain at Kota Café as a reminder of everyone who gathered and created together that day.
Chai, conversation, and a final reveal
We'll lay out everyone's finished totes, admire the different interpretations, perhaps enjoy a second round of chai, and linger over good conversation before heading home.
As part of the craft series and storytelling sessions, JULAHAS will also host a clothing pop-up at Kota Café on 14 June. The beautiful hand-carved blocks used during the workshop have been generously provided by the brand, bringing an authentic piece of this craft tradition into the experience.