Tree of Life -Details

At an early stage of the Visvakarma commissions, the Tree of Life, historically renowned for its hand painted and resist-dyed qualities over preceding centuries, was transformed into a contemporary textile using block prints. Here, repeating blocks of the featured motifs were the primary compositional devices, ingeniously used, to simulate a large-scale flowering tree, creating an overall, hand-drawn quality. A specially handwoven textile, 90 inches in width, provided the base. A use of silk in place of the conventional cotton, was a common practice through the commissions, and lent them a sheen and quality which was considered relevant for their intended use as art works in luxury interiors. These experiments seeded the start of a new, commercially viable direction for the Tree of Life and related themes, which has continued into the present.