Untitled (Detail); Installation view

Priya Ravish Mehra worked with Rafoogari, a traditional form of darning that is used to repair damages, especially tears and moth holes in textiles. Mehra became interested in Rafoogari upon realising its absence in the context of textile history. Through first-hand research, meeting various rafoogars and documenting their work, she sought to raise greater historical and cultural awareness, as well as an appreciation of their overlooked skill. Considering that a skilled rafoogar’s work remains invisible as it must blend in seamlessly with the rest of the fabric, the laborious effort of the artisan goes unnoticed. In Mehra’s adaptation of Rafoogari, she consciously made the darning visible, drawing attention to its technique, as well as to the flaws of the fabric. This kind of acknowledgment of imperfection along with the notion of making the process of mending apparently metaphorically represented Mehra’s own life.

The works were featured as part of the exhibition 'Connecting Threads: Textiles in Contemporary Practice'. The exhibition was curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and Puja Vaish and attempts to trace textile practices, traditions and histories in Contemporary Indian Art.