Varshaben is one of the best educated young women in her community. In school, she was recognized in dramas and recitation competitions. But Varshaben learned her traditional embroidery by herself, watching family members and relatives. In 2007, Varshaben attended Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya, where she learned to access her capability. “I was too shy to speak,” she says, “and now I can address a large audience.” Varshaben’s creative collection of men’s wear broke the bounds of traditional suf embroidery, with its stylized butterfly motifs, and she received the award for Most Marketable Collection of 2007. Varshaben proved to be a natural teacher when she mentored subsequent KRV classes, and she addressed the Convocation audience in 2009.

Today she serves as an Artisan Designer for Kala Raksha, and travels to Delhi and Mumbai for exhibitions. “A good artisan can make varied pieces,” Varshaben says, “and the colours of her work should shine.”

Varshaben was the speaker at the 2008 KRV Convocation.  She has served as a mentor at Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya and was a design intern at Kala Raksha in 2009, funded by COMO Foundation.