Can old clothes become a giant stretching cat? This February, artist Rashi invites Fort Kochi to do exactly that, stitch by stitch, together.

The three-day workshop at ABC Art Room turns donated clothing into ‘നീണ്ടുനിവർന്ന പൂച്ച’ (Nīṇṭunivarnna Pūcca), the Stretchy Cat. This is a large-scale soft sculpture that reminds us what cats have always known: slowing down is not laziness, it is wisdom.

Co-creation

Participants will build a giant soft sculpture together, using a pre-made metal wireframe as the skeleton. The cat’s body comes from old clothes. Each donated garment carries its own story, now stitched into something entirely new.

The workshop flows across three days. You can join any or all:

Day 1 (Feb. 2): Building the basic stitched skin of the sculpture
Day 2 (Feb. 3): Detailing the face and paws
Day 3 (Feb. 4): Adding colours and patterns

No prior experience is needed. The emphasis is on collective making. The process matters as much as the final piece.

About the Artist

Rashi works with repurposed textiles to create puppets, soft sculptures, and cloth collages. Her practice is rooted in hand-stitching and the transformation of old garments into new forms. Through workshops and collective projects, she values making together as a shared process, guided by the satisfaction of reuse over consumption.

The challenge of shaping diverse materials into meaningful compositions drives her work. A worn kurta, a faded bedsheet, a child’s outgrown shirt: in Rashi’s hands, these become the building blocks of new creatures and forms.

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Why a Stretching Cat?

The sculpture’s concept is beautifully simple: a cat in full stretch evokes relaxation and ease. It is a reminder that slowing down is a natural state for all creatures, something we often forget in our rush through Fort Kochi’s Biennale-packed streets.

Workshop Details

Dates: Feb. 2, 3 and 4, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Venue: ABC Art Room, Water Metro, Fort Kochi
Entry: Free (no registration fee required)
Who can join: Everyone. Drop in any day. Attendance on all days is not mandatory.

The workshop relies primarily on donated clothing. Some additional low-cost textiles may be purchased for colour balance. Clothes will be pre-sorted by the artist to guide participants in working with colour, texture, and composition.

About ABC Art Room

The Art By Children (ABC) initiative is the educational arm of the Kochi Biennale Foundation. During the Biennale, the ABC Art Room at Water Metro hosts a rotating schedule of workshops, from pottery and fibre arts to rhythm activities and creative play. These sessions emphasize non-competitive, process-focused making where anyone can participate regardless of skill level.

The ABC Art Room workshops have become a beloved parallel programme during the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. They offer hands-on creative experiences that complement the exhibition’s visual feast.

Also see: All KMB6 Coverage on Cats of Kochi

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