The widespread use of checkered cotton textiles is deeply rooted in India’s colonial past. Until the 12th century, printed checkered fabrics were used exclusively by peasant communities in and around Madras, present day Chennai.

The Tula Injiri Cushions aren’t original madras checks, they aren’t even close- however they rely heavily on the history of this checkered textile, and its rise to the status of royal robes and eventual fall from grace as the choice of apparel for plantation workers in West Africa. We have made simple cushions, humble everyday cushions that can be washed and rewashed and fading of which will only make them more charming, just like their historical counterparts.