Oral history interview with Asha Sarabhai, 2015

Biographical Note

Asha Sarabhai was born in India. She is a fashion designer and founder of Raag Studios in Ahmedabad, India, and married to Suhrid Sarabhai

Scope and Contents

Asha Sarabhai describes the roots and evolution of her interest in textiles. She describes how she met her husband and entered the Sarabhai family, and reflects on her adjustment. The family hosted Rauschenberg in 1975, and Sarabhai describes in detail the time he spent there, her relationship with Rauschenberg, how he engaged in work while there, and how he impacted the family and impacted her. She also discusses how he worked with the materials and environment of the Sarabhai family's retreat, and of the city of Ahmedabad and the paper mills. She describes the impact of time spent with Rauschenberg on her own work with textiles. Other artists have since stayed at the Sarabhai Retreat, and Asha recounts some visitors. She reflects on her personal relationship with Rauschenberg

Subjects

• Ahmadābād (India)
• Artistic collaboration.
• Asha Sarabhai--Interviews.
• Calico Museum of Textiles (India).
• Fashion designers--Interviews.
• Guy, Gina interviewer.
• Indian fashion designers.
• Interviews.
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Rauschenberg, Robert, 1925-2008.
• Sarabhai Foundation.
• Study of contemporary textile crafts of India.
• Vanderscoff, Cameron interviewer.
• Woven textiles--India.

Access Conditions

Copyright by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, 2015