Neelu Jain

Neelu has always been surrounded by traditional craft and craftsmen growing up in Jaipur, dubbed as the “artisan city of India”. Her passion to learn design and desire to experience craft, propelled her to pursue Apparel Design from the prestigious National Institute of Design in India. She then completed her Masters in Fashion Merchandising from Michigan, USA. She started designing costumes for the musicals.
In 2005, her husband's work took her to Japan. Here, she was drawn to Japanese architecture and gardens, intrigued by their intrinsic simplicity and detailed expression. She started appreciating the Japanese way of life, rich with culture, simplicity, eye for detail and modesty. Her textile and design background and eye for color pulled her to many crafts in Japan. And somewhere along this journey, began her love for an almost dying Japanese needle craft - Temari.
Neelu trained with Michiko Shimizu sensei, a very accomplished Temari teacher. Shimizu sensei took Neelu under her wings, and this began a decade of learning and enjoying the art of simple perfection.
Since 2010, driven to keep the art of Temari alive and showcasing it to the world, Neelu began developing her own patterns. She has been comissioned to present her craft in various exhibitions at embassies, events and Japanese retail outlets.
Her husband's work has moved them with their two daughters to Indiana recently. It is Neelu's dream to revive this rich craft and give it a new international face! She has been working on turning Temari into modern, desirable objects, while keeping the essence of its traditional heritage.