Devalben was born in Khara Pasvadia in Anjar Taluka,
of the nomadic Rabari community. Her family farmed as well as
herded sheep and goats, and she did not migrate except in drought years. She learned embroidery in her childhood, by watching
others. After marriage into Kukadsar, Devalben did occasional work for sale until Kala Raksha began a group in 1998. Then she
worked with her late husband, who was the local coordinator, to supervise the group. Through Kala Raksha, Devalben went to
an exhibition in Delhi, and she has participated in design workshops with Nita Thakore, Krishna Patel, Sangita Shroff, and Laurence.
Embroidery is our history, Devalben says, since the elders of the subgroup banned embroidery for personal use in 1995.
She still remembers some of the pieces she had embroidered. She recalls that they felt sad at the time of the ban, and were at a
loss as to what to wear. Then the young women invented Hari Jari- the application of ribbons and trims, and it looked good, so
now they are not sorry. Looking back, it was an increasing burden to embroider up to 20 blouses for a dowry.
After graduating, Devalben has served
as a Design Intern and has developed a number of
garments for the contemporary market.
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