Kachchh Born Again- Mumbai exhibition presents a glimpse of innovative designs through Workshops
Curated by Satish Reddy a mechanical engineer turned designer, the exhibition at 47-A , Khotachi Wadi, Baro Market is open from June 10 to July 9. The theme of exhibition ‘Stories From Old Craft & New Design’ reflects the captivating design inspired from old crafts.
With splendid craft traditions, the Kutch region of Gujarat has seen a wave of intense passion, commitment and rigour of a group of twelve craftspeople in a 3 year systematic mentorship that has exploded into design never attempted before.
Their workshops transformed from places shackled by market price to laboratories of experiment, radical thought and great joy!
Become a Premium Member to access our exclusive contents: https://authindia.com/premium-community-membership/ Some years back Satish Reddy, a mechanical engineer, volunteered with a non-profit in Kutch to work on the value chain process of kala cotton. The move from Mumbai to Gujarat gave Reddy an opportunity to learn about the region’s crafts.
Reddy started working with US-based designer Charles Galatis as a design development consultant, helping him source Indian crafts. It was around this time that Reddy started learning and interacting with artisans across Rajasthan, Gujarat and West Bengal.
He chanced to meet Kirit Dave of Shrujan, a non-profit that has been working with craftspeople in Kutch for five decades. He started a project called Sanchari, funded by Dave, to help artisans innovate.
According to Reddy, convincing artisans was quite challenging, especially the Kasam brothers. It took months. The first piece of embroidery the brothers did, three years ago, is now part of Kachchh Born Again, The Kasam brothers, in their 20s, believed their work should speak for them. Eventually, they gave up the craft to take up jobs like creating metalwork for bandhani sarees, for a steady income.
A display of ‘mochi’ embroidery by the Kasam brothers, the show has embroidery and weaving in 12 art and craft forms. All will be available for sale; visitors can place orders as well. Part of the money will go to the artisans and the rest towards a fund used to support existing and new artisans. The Sanchari project currently has 13 artisans.
Artist Karim Mansuri brings together elements of modern and folk art to use his namda wool-felting techniques to create wall-hanging pieces inspired by the American painter Mark Rothko. He has come up with abstract designs as well as designs of animals and plants. Reddy, it seems, showed him the works of different artists, from S.H. Raza and Gustav Klimt to Rothko. Karim chose Rothko for his playful use of colours.
Ahmed Khatri, who comes from a family of batik-design makers, wants to show the viewer what handmade batik looks like. He has done batik paintings for the show and wants the world to know what handmade work looks like. “For way too long, we have waited quietly for things to turn in our favour, for the customer to realise the importance of our work, ”asserts Khatri.
Its high time Indian fashion and design industry looked beyond chikankari and zardozi. Mochi embroidery and Namda (wool felting) have all the merits to grace the global runway.
