Iffat Arts

Iffat Arts operates out of Room Number 10 in Madina Chawl. We are in the Mukund area of Dharavi Oshiwara. It’s a very crowded and lively place. There is always noise outside the window. We have a small room but we make it work. Everything is packed in quite tight. We have our supplies and the things we make stacked up to the ceiling almost. It’s a bit of a squeeze when more than two people are inside. We’ve been in this chawl for years. Everyone knows Iffat Arts is in Room 10. We don't have a website or anything like that. People just find us by asking around or seeing our sign. The work is steady. We spend most of the day hunched over our benches. The fan is always on because it gets very hot in here. We drink water from a big clay pot to stay cool. Sometimes the power goes out and we have to wait for it to come back on. We don't have any fancy machines. Most of what we do is by hand. It takes time and patience. We don't really have office hours. We just work until the day’s task is finished. It’s a tough environment but we are used to it. The people around us are like family. We all help each other out when things get difficult. It’s just how life is here in the chawl. We keep our heads down and focus on the art we make.