The Marriage -Details

This textile is one of a set of three which depicts, intricately, the details of an elaborate wedding procession. Developed at a middle stage of the Visvakarma exhibitions, this theme was a departure from the earlier religious imagery in Kalamkari while keeping it rooted in a familiar setting of the social life of the region where it was produced. A use of a green base was a radical departure from conventions, and dyeing in a tea infusion lent it a final colour finish, along with hand calendering. The artist went onto develop a well known arts practise, and his later, private commissions are in important collections in India.

The hustle and bustle of a marriage venue is portrayed with a vivacity that is unmatched. Grains are being ground in the traditional chakki, there are tall, drum shaped mortars with the typically long, cylindrical pestles, the gathering and ferrying of food, a child crawling in neglect, the scenes are everyday. This is a community driven by the single motive of feeding the wedding guests and they work in pairs, painted vividly by Kailasam capturing every movement in the process.