The Art of the Story -Kalamkari
Dye painted textiles of India have captured the imagination of the world since the past five centuries and more.
National Institute of Fashion Technology
The textiles documented were commissioned for Visvakarma, a series of exhibitions.
The Art of the Story (2022) by Curated by NIFT BengaluruNational Institute of Fashion Technology
The Art of the Story
In almost all regions, there has been a popularity of painted cloth traditions which narrate local legends as well as myths which are common to the country. From the south-west, the Kalamkari represents perhaps its most well known genre.
The Art of the Story (2022) by Curated by NIFT BengaluruNational Institute of Fashion Technology
Conventionally rendered in natural dyes using a Kalam — handheld reed pen — the Visvakarma interventions extended the depictions of Hindu themes such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana to those from other Faiths.
The Art of the Story (2022) by Curated by NIFT BengaluruNational Institute of Fashion Technology
These textiles further celebrated figural depictions as an important part of the contemporary vocabularies of Indian textiles.
The Marriage
‘The Marriage’ was commissioned to M Kailasam by Sri Redayya, who was working with the Weavers Service Centre at Tamil Nadu. At the centre, the subject is human than divine, where marriage as a rite of passage is celebrated.
Kalamkari
Kailasam garu remembers having worked the panel from bottom upwards. Haling from a family of weavers and artists, Kailasam was trained at the Kalamkari training centre which was opened at the behest of Pupul Jayakar.
The hustle and bustle of a marriage venue
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.
The wedding
In the centre of the panel is the kalyana mantapa, the wedding alcove, canopied and festooned with flowers and leaves. Two plantain trees laden with fruits flank both the sides and two Anna pakshis (swans) are painted atop the pillars.
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary -InstallationNational Institute of Fashion Technology
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary
The assumption of the Virgin Mary is not part of the Bible but a legend widely believed by Christians that as Mother of God, she did not have a human death or burial but ascended to heaven accompanied by the angels.
Mother Mary
Mother Mary is conceptualised here as a Hindu Goddess. The halo itself is deeply ornamented than a play of light and shade. The costumes and jewellery, elaborate drapery are all reminiscent of forms in Hindu temple carvings.
Nativity scene
This grid shows the shepherds visiting the babe in the manger. It is the classic nativity scene, with the bright star bathing baby Jesus with its light and the stable shows bejewelled horse and a cow. The visiting shepherd have a lamb and a ram adorned with jewels.
Story of Lazarus
This particular graphic shows Jesus seated in the graveyard in padmasana bringing to life the dead Lazarus. At his feet is Lazarus’s sister Martha who had beseeched Christ for bringing her brother back to life.
The Buddha -InstallationNational Institute of Fashion Technology
The Buddha
The central panel features Buddha flanked by Bodhisatvas. Painted Scroll cloths that aid story telling have been a long standing tradition in India. That Kalamkari was let to explore other story lines is a commendable feat of Visvakarma textiles.
Buddha and his life stories
The grid shows the funeral procession, third among the four sights Prince Siddharta saw while on his chariot with Chandaka. Prince Siddharta is said to have been deeply moved by such sights before returning to his palace.
Four sights
The deep quest and understanding Siddharta developed about the ephemeral nature of life was kindled by the four sights as per Buddhist belief. The scene of Prince Sidhharta seeing the diseased man on his night out in the chariot.
The Art of the Story (2022) by Curated by NIFT BengaluruNational Institute of Fashion Technology
Kalamkari today is a thriving craft cluster thanks to the secularization of the design vocabulary initiated by Visvakarma. From temple screen cloths, artists were encouraged to widen the scope to secular spaces and non religious themes that has led to contemporary explorations.
Captions: Susan Thomas
Photographs: Sanjeev C M, Chirodeep Chaudhuri
