A garden of stories
“Knowledge is like a garden: if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.” Guinean Proverb
Welcome to the Garden of Stories, where you can explore and enjoy the thousands of stories from the wider world. Pick a path or feature to explore a culture, a way of making, a theme or one of our perennial writers.
Objects help us live among the stories we value. They are stories we can hold, adorn our world, offer as gifts and care for over time.
Over the past five years, we’ve collected more than a thousand stories from 70 countries. These are timeless stories that deserve a future. There’s still much to learn from them.
A garden of stories has a balance of species, from unique treasures to humble everyday utensils. We can wander through pathways, exploring particular media, places and themes.
Features
Themes
- The Return Path: stories of a craft renaissance (We Tripantu)
- The Knot Garden: stories in the loop
- The Lost Garden: attempts to recover a mythical past
Matters
- Jewellery stories (Eid al Fitr)
- Embroidery stories (Eid al Adha)
- Garlands (Lei Day)
- Laurels
Perennials ✿ Evergreen Garland writers
Features of the garden are designed for the long term. They will grow as new stories are planted in the Garland platform. We welcome proposals to dedicate a feature in the memory of someone (or something) special. Feel free to contact us for details. You can support Garland by becoming a patron for a particular section.
Illustration
The Garden of Stories illustration was designed by Ishan Khosla. It was composed by four illustrators from different Indian tribal groups.
Mayur Vayeda – Warli
Top right (red): snake, orchard, flower, shrine and compost
Follow @mayur_vayeda
Shersingh – Bhil
Bottom right (blue): Boteh (paisley), tea stall, glass house and path
Venkat Raman Singh Shyam – Gond
Left (gold): vegetable plot, compost, knot garden, garland and kolam
Follow @venkatramansinghshyam
Avinash Karn – Mithila
Middle bottom (green): pond, snake, tree, hut, lotus pond
Follow @avinash.karn