Postcards of Memory — When Hands Meets Doodle and the Gang

In a dialogue that bridges continents, craft, and emotion, JDEED spoke to Asmaa and Mentalla Said, the creative sisters behind Doodle and the Gang, and Pranay Patodia, Director of Hands, about their collaborative collection Postcards — a celebration of memory, material, and shared nostalgia woven between the Arab world and India.

“At Hands, every collaboration is a bridge between legacy and imagination,” begins Pranay Patodia. “Working with studios like Doodle and the Gang allows us to see our craft through a new lens — one that challenges form, colour, and storytelling while still holding onto what defines us: the human touch.”

For Asmaa and Mentalla Said, the creative duo behind Doodle and the Gang, that dialogue took visual form in Postcards — a collection capturing memory, place, and belonging through texture and tone. “We set out to design what is essentially a graphic representation of a fond memory or experience we’ve had in each of these five cities,” they explain. “Our goal was for every piece to stand on its own aesthetically, to feel visually compelling even to someone who may not know the story behind it, while also carrying a cheeky ‘if you know, you know’ familiarity for those who share that collective memory.”

“Beirut, for instance, is expressed through the lens of food — Bonjus and Kaak — but also through the rhythm found in its architectural façade of the iconic Koujak building,” they continue. “Twirl, our postcard to Cairo, captures the hypnotic motion of Sufi dancers and the layered rhythm of their skirts. A-Bae-A, Dubai’s postcard, on the other hand, was inspired from the colorful dresses of Emirati women, hidden under their black abayas.”

The duo’s journey to Bhadohi — the heart of India’s weaving tradition — deepened that exchange between memory and material. “Visiting Bhadohi was transformative,” they recall. “You walk into the workshops and realize that every thread carries generations of knowledge. Seeing our drawings come to life on the loom and watching artisans translate a line or a color into texture changed how we think about authorship and collaboration. It reminded us that storytelling isn’t just about concept, it’s also about the hands that give it form.”

From the Hands side, Patodia echoes that sentiment. “They were not just weaving rugs; they were weaving memories — some their own, and some shared through stories from another land,” he says. “When we first discussed the inspiration behind Postcards, the images and colours brought by Doodle and the Gang felt foreign yet familiar. The emotions, however, were universal — nostalgia, longing, warmth, and belonging. For our weavers in Bhadohi, it was like writing a letter in another language but with the same feeling. Each thread became a translation of those stories into textures they know best — knots, yarns, dyes, and patterns. The result is something deeply human: memories from two regions meeting on one canvas.”

The collection celebrates the poetry of the everyday. “The most cherished memories in anyone’s life often have a familiar backdrop; a shared meal, a bustling city street, or a quiet moment in nature,” note Asmaa and Mentalla. “We may lead different lives, but we share far more than we realize. We wanted to capture those everyday elements and translate them into tactile pieces; rugs that invite people to recall their own memories of these places. It’s a simple way of connecting us all through shared nostalgia.”

At Hands, imperfection becomes part of the design language. “Perfection for us is not about symmetry — it’s about sincerity,” says Patodia. “Every rug carries the mark of the hands that made it, and that’s what makes it alive. We encourage our weavers to bring a part of themselves into what they create. A slightly uneven line, a subtle shift in tone — these are the quiet signs of life within the piece.”

The collaboration concludes with Marigold, a sculptural wall piece woven from leftover yarn — a fitting closing chapter. “Marigold felt like the most fitting way to close the Postcards collection, a moment of transformation and quiet celebration,” say Asmaa and Mentalla. “The marigold flower holds deep cultural and emotional significance in India; it’s a symbol of offering, renewal, and continuity. There’s something poetic about that; the idea of beauty emerging from what remains. Marigold became both a tribute to the artisans and a gesture of gratitude for the journey itself.”

More on doodleandthegang.com and handscarpet.com

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