‘Threads of Time’ : Celebrate Franco – Indian legacy of exquisite embroidery at Alliance Française of Madras
Alliance Française of Madras is witnessing an exquisite exhibition “Threads of time” – A Franco – Indian legacy of exquisite embroidery from (6th April- 15th April), celebrating the craftsmanship of Lesage interiors by Vastrakala through a retrospective.
Master embroiderer and founder of Vastrakala, Jean-François Lesage has teamed up with the Alliance Française of Madras to showcase the craftsmanship of Lesage interiors through a retrospective. The exhibition, Threads of Time, is an artful presentation of handcrafted embroidery by the craftsmen and women of Chennai-based Vastrakala.
Based in Chennai, Vastrakala was founded by Jean-Francois Lesage its artistic director and his associates Patrick Savouret, Malavika Shivakumar & Sandeep Rao, it employs close to 200 local craftsmen and women.
In the initial years, the company’s activity focussed on embroideries for Interiors, working with decorators, architects, museums, private collectors and public institutions the world over.
Gradually in the late 90s, Vastrakala added the skills of fine embroidery for fashion to its repertoire, in order to serve the requirements of Lesage Paris, the storied Paris-based company renowned for its signature embroideries for Haute Couture, Ready-to-Wear and accessories since 1924.Since that time, Vastrakala executes embroideries for the clients of Lesage Paris and has acquired very specific techniques used by them.
According to Lesage, “Chennai is a place where people still take time for each other, like in France, the Indian culture has evolved for more than 3,000 years in an uninterrupted manner. The variety and the richness of Indian craftsmanship, as much as French, celebrates first what human hands can achieve in a joyful manner. Beauty comes first.”
“Though India has a heritage of world-class embroidery, meeting the high standard of Lesage Interieurs is extremely difficult. Each craftsman must master 7,000 interior and 75,000 fashion samples from the 15th to 20th centuries to join the elite artisanal circle,” he asserts.
Images by Lesage Interieurs
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