New Delhi: Iran’s exquisite Rashti embroidery works, Brazilian clay art, one of the Americas’ oldest living traditions, and Belarusian traditional willow weaving — for six days a carefully curated BRICS Bazaar served as a veritable melting pot of cultures of the countries associated with the grouping.
The bazaar, featuring stalls representing 18 countries, including host India, also served as a forum of cultural exchange among participants and between artisans and visitors.
The crafts bazaar was set up on the premises of the National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy, adjacent to the Bharat Mandapam complex here, which hosted the BRICS Summit under India’s Chairship on September 12-13.
It ran from September 10-15, with the first four days reserved for high-profile visitors. It was opened for general visitors on Monday and attracted a large crowd till it closed on Tuesday evening.
The bazaar featured artisans and craftspersons from various member countries, including India, as well as partner countries of the grouping.
Near the entrance, a special backdrop was created using long pieces of fabric representing member and partner countries. The fabrics were tied at the centre, symbolising the cultural bonds among the countries.
The installation proved popular among visitors, who queued to take photographs and selfies with it.
The BRICS Bazaar showcased crafts, handlooms, textiles and artworks from member and partner countries, according to the official BRICS 2026 website.
BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with Indonesia joining in 2025.
Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became BRICS partner countries last year.
PTI interacted with some of the artisans from countries such as Brazil, Iran, South Africa, Ethiopia, before they headed back home.
Iran’s stall featured two artisans — Nadia Karimi, a native of Zahedan city, who focuses on preserving and developing the traditional art of Balochi embroidery; and Ameneh Sedighi, who works to promote and develop the traditional sewing heritage of Gilan — and drew sizeable visitors.
Karimi’s ties for men or belts and earrings for women, bearing Balochi handcrafted design, drew appreciation for the craftsmanship, while Sedighi’s embroidery works looked simply exquisite.
Sedighi, from northern region of Iran, who speaks Persian, used an internet-based AI platform to seamlessly interact with visitors, demonstrating how advanced technology can help overcome language constraints.
“I started learning traditional embroidery when I was 20 years old. I have been teaching traditional Iranian embroidery for 30 years,” she told PTI on Tuesday evening.
Sedighi’s main practice is needlework with embroidery, specifically mirror work and chain stitch on cotton. Her work promotes and develops the traditional sewing heritage of Gilan, particularly Rashti embroidery and local clothing, and adapts traditional embroidery for contemporary products.
The bazaar was visited by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s daughter Zahra Pezeshkian on September 12 amid tight security, besides some other high-profile guests.
She had also visited the stall of Iran and interacted with artisans.
Textile-based banners which were put up at the venue added to the charm of the event.
An installation made up of wood carried fabrics of different countries neatly displayed in a carousel style.
Cleziania Ribeiro de Lima Paiva, a ceramic artisan and sculptor from Goiás, Brazil, interacted with PTI before packing her wares for transportation.
“I was very happy to stay in India for the past few days and experience the rich culture here. It has been a wonderful experience,” she said.
Her relationship with clay began in childhood, watching her mother make clay utensils. Around age 11, she began shaping her own figures and scenes from everyday life. What started as childhood experimentation gradually grew into an artistic practice that she continues to develop, according to the website.
Cleziania works primarily by transforming organic clay into figurative and decorative sculptures.
At the Ethiopian stall, Ejigayehu Hailegiorgis and Meaza Asegid Assefa presented their works, while Feven Merid, an Ethiopian woman based in India who can speak fluent Hindi, drew a large crowd.
Hailegiorgis is a pioneering fashion designer, entrepreneur and founder of Ejig Tibeb. As one of the trailblazers for women in Ethiopian fashion, she also co-founded the Ethiopian Fashion Designers Association. Asegid is an artisan who creates handmade clay crafts rooted in a generational tradition.
Noida-based Reetu Mourya, who works in digital marketing, said she took a day off on Tuesday just to visit the bazaar.
“I wanted to talk to the artisans, know about their culture, and it felt like I have visited so many countries all at one place in Delhi. I also took selfies with artisans,” she told PTI.
However, some rued missing it as they came past 6 pm on Tuesday.
Anushka Sharma, 20, a law student based in Delhi said, “I had heard so much about it through Instagram, but I came late and missed it. It was a very good initiative to showcase BRICS countries’ arts and crafts at the Crafts Museum, which I have otherwise visited before.”
The official website of BRICS 2026 carries more details about the BRICS Bazaar, which was themed on ‘Crafting Culture, Connecting People’.
BRICS has emerged as an influential grouping, bringing together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP and 26 per cent of the global trade.
