Lost & Found: Bhutanese Textiles at Melbourne Design Week 2025
Bhutanese designer Chandrika Tamang brings Lost & Found to Melbourne Design Week 2025, showcasing traditional Bhutanese weaving through a contemporary lens. This powerful textile exhibition celebrates cultural resilience, female artisanship, and the timeless beauty of heritage craft.
For the very first time, Bhutan’s ancient weaving traditions will take centre stage in Australia at Melbourne Design Week 2025. From 21st to 25th May, visitors can experience Lost & Found, a captivating textile art exhibition by acclaimed Bhutanese designer and social entrepreneur Chandrika Tamang. Hosted at 362 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, the exhibition is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Weaving Culture, Memory, and Meaning
Lost & Found invites viewers into a deeply personal and cultural journey, where every thread and motif tells a story. It reinterprets Bhutanese weaving as a living art form—steeped in memory, tradition, and resilience. Through contemporary design, Tamang transforms centuries-old techniques into narratives of identity, sustainability, and cultural evolution.
Meet the Artist: Chandrika Tamang
Chandrika Tamang is the visionary behind this showcase. A passionate textile practitioner and founder of CDK Gyencha, she has spent nearly a decade immersed in Bhutan’s heritage textiles. Internationally recognised for blending traditional loom work with modern aesthetics, her designs not only honour Bhutan’s rich legacy but also highlight the strength and artistry of women weavers across the region.
“Lost and Found is a conversation where the old and the new meet,” shares Tamang. “Where heritage and experimentation coexist—each thread becoming a metaphor for survival, adaptation, and the evolution of culture.”
Empowering Artisans, Celebrating Craft
Beyond its visual allure, the exhibition shines a spotlight on the empowerment of female artisans, a cause close to Tamang’s heart. Through her work with CDK Gyencha, she champions fair trade practices, cultural preservation, and creative agency for Bhutanese women.
A Cross-Cultural Celebration of Design
Supported by the Honorary Consul of Bhutan in Sydney, CDK Gyencha, and Melbourne Design Week, Lost & Found bridges cultures and generations. It offers Australian audiences a rare opportunity to connect with Bhutanese craftsmanship and reflect on wider themes of creative expression, cultural continuity, and community resilience.
If you’re in Melbourne this May, don’t miss the chance to witness how Bhutanese heritage is being reimagined—one thread at a time.
