How this painter brings memories of India into her textile designs

At the Arts to Hearts Project, we love spotlighting women whose journeys demonstrate how creativity can evolve, expand, and take on new forms over time. In this conversation, we speak with designer and printmaker Sumana Ghosh-Witherspoon, who began her career in New York’s publishing world before turning her focus to textiles, collage, and surface pattern design. She shares how her Indian heritage continues to guide her work, why traditional techniques like block printing still excite her, and what it means to balance design with family life.

Through this interview, Sumana takes us through the experiences that shaped her—from memories of colourful doorways in Calcutta to the lessons she learned designing her first fabric line. We learn about the crossover between her editorial background and her studio practice, the influence of folk art she grew up with, and the ways she translates patterns into both functional textiles and wall-based pieces. She also discusses collaboration, teaching, and how she has found small yet steady ways to keep her creative practice alive while raising two daughters.

This conversation provides a glimpse into how patterns can convey stories, memories, and movement—and how Sumana continues to explore this through her evolving body of work.

Sumana Ghosh-Witherspoon is a featured artist in our book, “Art and Woman 2025” You can explore her journey and the stories of other artists by purchasing the book here:

https://shop.artstoheartsproject.com/products/art-and-woman-edition-

After working as a graphic designer and art director in the publishing industry in NYC for several years, Sumana moved to the suburbs and discovered a passion for patterns, collage, and textile design. In 2020 she created her first fabric collection “Indian Summer” with PBS fabrics and she currently collaborates with Sienna Store Kolkata on surface pattern designs. Sumana draws deeply from her Indian heritage to create work that is both nostalgic and boldly contemporary. Her use of rubber stamp printmaking, a traditional technique reimagined through her own lens, blends with soft textures to create layered, emotive pieces which speak of memory, movement, identity, and home.

Her art is more than aesthetic; it’s a form of storytelling through patterns. Sumana’s work has been featured in Uppercase and Pressing Matters magazines. Sumana has participated in several local exhibitions, including recently at the Newark Museum of Art for the Newark Arts Festival. In January 2025, she collaborated with the NJ Devils hockey team to design a jersey for their Asian and Pacific Islander night. She also conducts workshops locally to teach the basics of block printing.

“I love the meditative nature of creating patterns. I like to think that many hidden stories are waiting to be discovered in the layers and textures of my work which I create by drawing, carving, stamping and mixing media. Most of the imagery is pieced together from my sun-drenched memories of my adolescent years spent in India. My goal is to spark some joy with my work and inspire a rediscovery of your own cultural stories.”

1.    Growing up between Philadelphia and India, what are some visual memories from those years that continue to shape your patterns and designs today?  

I respond to both the stark symmetry that can be found in the US and the explosion of colour and texture of India, and I think my work tends to be a marriage of both aesthetics. I particularly remember moving to Calcutta and being awestruck by the teal-colored doors and walls I would see peppered throughout the city. They definitely sparked something in me to create.

I particularly remember moving to Calcutta and being awestruck by the teal-colored doors and walls I would see peppered throughout the city. They definitely sparked something in me to create.

Sumana Ghosh-Witherspoon

2.    After years in magazine publishing, what was the turning point that drew you back to working with your hands?   

I would often commission illustrators for editorial stories and once in a while, if we had time constraints, I would create them myself, and I found that I enjoyed this looser form of design. With art direction and layout, you are restricted to a certain extent. I missed the freedom to be me through fine art.

3.    Textile design often carries cultural stories , how do you approach blending Indian folk traditions with your background in contemporary design?  

My mother is an avid art collector and growing up, our house was filled with art both from contemporary artists and folk artists alike. I was drawn to the decorative elements, simplicity and innocence of Indian folk art. I am also inspired by their themes of animals and nature, and the stories they tell about place. My life has been rooted in dualitie,s and I think that comes through in my love of pattern and simplistic forms.

4.   Your first fabric collection, Indian Summer, launched in 2020. What did that project teach you about working in collaboration with a fabric company?     

I was lucky to collaborate with PBS Fabrics who were appreciative of my style and embraced its imperfections. I quickly learned about repeat patterns and adapted my block-printed, painterly style to work seamlessly on fabric. The company primarily caters to the quilting community, and I discovered a whole new world of quilt design and was thrilled to see my fabric incorporated into people’s quilt patterns.

I love the meditative nature of creating patterns. I like to think that there are many hidden stories waiting to be discovered in the layers and textures of my work.

Sumana Ghosh-Witherspoon

5. Through shoemona, you create both functional items like bags and wall art. How do you decide which ideas belong on fabric versus those that belong on paper?  

I think my work feels innately a part of the textile/fabric world. For art prints or paintings, I may take one element of my design, increase the scale, and feature it on its own. In contrast, for my fabric patterns, I would reduce the size and repeat the aspect.

6. Balancing design work with raising two daughters must bring its own rhythm, how has motherhood shaped the way you think about time and creativity?  

As most parents know, balancing work and family is a constant juggling act. Creating art takes time, and sometimes I don’t have a lot of it, but I think I’ve learned how to carve out moments for myself and work as efficiently as possible! If inspiration strikes and I can’t act on it immediately, I’ll jot down the ideas and tackle them at a later time. Now that my girls are older, I’ll often bring them along to art fairs to help me out and they do this happily (for the most part!)

Sumana’s work is about patterns as storytellers. Her practice blends heritage and memory with a contemporary sensibility, weaving together Indian folk influences, block printing, and collage into surfaces that feel alive with rhythm and texture. From her journey in publishing to her explorations in textile design, she has shown how creativity can take shape in many forms and continue to grow alongside the demands of family and daily life. What we learn from her story is that design is not just about what looks good on fabric or paper, but about carrying fragments of history, place, and identity into something people can see, touch, and live with.

To learn more about Sumana Ghosh-Witherspoon, click the following links to visit her profile.

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