‘Unbound by Beads: Migration, Memory & Material’ by Moi Fine Jewellery is a research-led exhibition presented at London Craft Week 2026 that explores the rich history of glass beadwork in India. Tracing the journey of Venetian glass beads through Gujarati trade routes to pastoral communities in Rajasthan and Kutch, the project centres the lived experiences of Meghawal women artisans. Through field research and audio-visual documentation, the exhibition positions beadwork as both a source of economic independence and a carrier of generational knowledge. Alongside, Moi launches ‘Serai’, a jewellery capsule that reinterprets traditional forms like the hasli and kankari earrings, bridging heritage craft with contemporary design.
Glass beadwork has been a part of Indian fashion and design history for centuries now, particularly for the pastoral communities of western India. Venetian glass beads arrived in the subcontinent through maritime trade roots in the 19th century.
Moi Fine Jewellery’s ‘Unbound by Beads: Migration, Memory & Material’ is a research-based exhibition that dives into this cultural and geographic history of the glass bead. Focussing on the women artisans from the Meghawal community in Rajasthan, the exhibition dissects the meaning and weight the material carries of being a medium of financial independence and at the same time, a site for inherited knowledge. By highlighting stories of migration and global exchange, through field visits, and conversations spent documenting the craft practices and creating an audio-visual archive, the project dives into these artisans' lives.
Being presented as part of the 2026 edition of London Craft Week, the project was developed in collaboration with the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation’s Artisan Collective, which helped trace the bead working traditions from Kutch to Barmer. They also explored how these foreign materials were amalgamated into local craft practices and the role this small bead played in a community’s memory and survival.
The exhibition is hosted by Anita Chhiba, curated by Meneesha Kaur Kelly and designed by Armaan Bansal (anda-ba) at The Lavery, Hazel Studio in London. The story is told as a triptych, with three interconnecting sections. Beginning with a deep dive into understanding the material itself and then seeing the journey of the glass beads through trade and finally understanding how it’s used today in contemporary practices, the project maps the entire journey of the humble bead.
The project also marks the launch of the Serai, a jewellery capsule by Moi inspired by these beadwork techniques. ‘Serai’, which means carawan, was noted as a ‘point of transition’, and this collection aims to be that meeting ground between the inter-generational artistic practices and the contemporary fashion world. Honouring the cultural fabric of the regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan and the fierce sense of community that is synonymous to these regions. By reimagining archival jewellery forms like “the “hasli”, the “akota”, the “kankari” earrings and the “kasla” necklace” and using beads that are both precious and not, the collection creates a dialogue between these two worlds.
The exhibition places a tiny miniscule bead under the microscope. Zooming in and out of the worlds built through and around it, particularly highlighting the communities of women that rely on it for economic stability. By looking at beadwork as both labour and knowledge, ‘Unbound by Beads: Migration, Memory & Material’ transforms it into a vessel of continuity.
‘Unbound by Beads: Migration, Memory & Material’ will be open to the public from 13th May at The Lavery, Hazel Studio in London. Follow Moi here.
If you enjoyed reading this, here’s more from Homegrown:
Algae, Glass, & Bioleather: Inside Devanshi Jain’s Radical 'Neo-Luxury' Design Practice
Make Everyday ‘Bead-U-Ful’ With Rata's Whimsical Beaded Lifestyle Products
Jewellery As Homecoming: Anjali Gupta’s First Collection Is An Ode To Bihar & Her Family