A Hundred Hands

A Hundred Hands
Artist Member’s Profile 2014-2015
A Hundred Hand’s Membership
Programme:
This programme, aims to provide
a support network to small artists/
artisans/social enterprises and livelihood groups. Our mission is to help
them earn a fair and sustainable
livelihood through their handmade
crafts - by creating opportunities to
sell and evolve.
View by art/craft
View by artist/organization
Note: Pages linked. Click near end of word to take you to the desired page.
Art/Craft
Aepan
Decoupage
Madhubani
Potted Plants
Ahimsa Silk
Encaustic Art
Mughal Hand-Block Prints
Recycled Denim
Balms & Ointments
Glass Crafting
Mughal Miniatures
Recycled Functional Art
Bengal Embroidery
Gond Paintings
Mughal Wood Carving and Puzzles
Sanjhi Art
Carpets
Handmade Paper & Products
Ojo-de-Dio’s
Smocking & Hand Embroidery
Channapatna Lacquer Ware
Hase Chitra Mud Painting
Origami
Stained Glass
Crochet Jewellery
Lambani Embroidery
Papercraft
Terracotta Pottery
Patchwork & Garments
Warli
Homepage
Artist/Organization
Asha Ram
Diya Foundation
Abdul Kalam & Group: Kalam Carpets
eCoexist
Himjoli
Arati Bedekar
Monisha Lobo: 2 Green Thumbs
Naresh & Dileep
Hiranakshi Harshwal: Tara
Karthik Vaidyanathan: Varnam
Praachi
Mohan Kumar Prajapati
Vija Soni
Srishti Complex
Belaku Trust
Homepage
Ramona Patel
Sonia Dhawan: Granny Gregs
Rashid Bhai: Mughal Garden
Suguna Rangaswami
Kumbaya: Samaj Pragati Sahayog
Tara Aslam: Nature Alley
Samoolam
Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra
Vidushini Prasad
Shyam Venkat
Vinita Jain: Winnie’s Papercraft
Homepage
Arati Bedekar
Encaustic Art
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Arati Bedekar:
Arati is a Bangalore based self-taught Encaustic Artist who has been working with
this medium since early 2005. Beginning
with a starter kit she picked up when living
in England, she has produced a collection
of more than 600 works of Encaustic Art.
Arati has participated in many exhibitions
and was also invited to take part in Mood
Indigo at IIT Mumbai in 2009.
Adopting a modern form of this Greek
painting technique, she is inspired by nature and landscapes and likes to experiment on different surfaces and materials.
Encaustic Art:
It is a technique of painting where an iron
is used as paintbrush and wax are the colours. The art form dates back to ancient
Greece, where beeswax was used to produce stunning effects. Colour was added
to molten beeswax and resin that was then
applied to a surface.
Once applied to the surface the paint
doesn’t need to dry. Instead it needs to
cool, which it does in minutes.Additional
coats can be added immediately. An advantage with this art form is the appearance
of a permanent finish. In fact, one could
rework the pieces seven years later.
Diya Foundation
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Diya Foundation:
Vocational Training Centre in Bangalore
providing training and employment to
differently abled individuals. Founded in
1999, DIYA is a registered charitable trust.
The idea for the centre grew out of a growing need for vocational training once basic schooling is completed. Ten years ago,
there were very few options available to
challenged young adults, particularly the
intellectually challenged.
Chocolyn: Chocolyn was founded in loving
memory of Carolyn Arulappan, in August
2007. Carolyn, a past trainee at Diya, loved
to have fun and was an exuberant person.
It is the mission of Chocolyn to spread the
sweetness that Carolyn embodied, and in
doing so, bettering the lives of the differently abled at the Diya Foundation.
Paper Mache Unit: The Papier-Mâché unit
churns out collectibles that are unique
treasures. The bowls, fridge magnets and
collectibles are all handmade and no two
products are identical.
Candle making Unit: The candle-making
unit at Diya was started in 2007, and employs many Diya trainees in making novelty candles.
The Horticulture Unit: It is Diya’s latest
venture and was set up with the help of a
corporate sponsor.
The Paper Unit: They make paper bags
that suit a variety of uses.
e-Coexist
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eCoexist:
eCoexist is a Pune based social enterprise.
This organisation promotes eco-sensitive
products, creating beauty by reviving
crafts that originally used natural materials even while promoting technologies and
new materials that are eco-sensitive.
The Safe Festival Campaign has made significant impact across the country.
Sonia Dhawan
Granny Gregs
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Sonia Dhawan:
Sonia Dhawan, a geneticist by profession,
uses recipes handed down over generations and combines that with her scientifc
knowledge of medicinal herbs and plants.
Her Grandma’s little home remedies paid
off for this Bangalore-based Geneticist.
Sonia Dhawan now makes her own line of
balms. Reminiscent of familiar home rem-
edies and fragrances from the hills, the line
of balms, six come packaged like little gifts
wrapped in printed paper under the Granny Gregs tag.
Granny Gregs Balms and Ointments:
Handmade salves that use natural ingredients, Granny Gregs have a wide range of
balms and ointments for varied uses. All
the balms come in a beeswax base with
infused natural oil sourced from bee farms
where you get the unadulterated darker
version that actually smells of honey.
The natural oils are from Shimoga. However, the chocolate one is made out of real
chocolate and cocoa butter.
Abdul Kalam & Group
Kalam Carpets
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Abdul Kalam:
Artist Abdul Kalam and his group of carpet weavers from Mirzapur revive the traditional Kilims. Their dhurries are made
by using the hand knotting technique
showcasing not only fine craftsmanship
but also very interesting designs integrating the traditional and the modern.
Kilim work:
Kilims are flat tapestry-woven carpets or
rugs. These can be purely decorative or can
function as prayer rugs. The design of a
kilim is made by interweaving the coloured
wefts and warps--creating what is known
as a flat weave-- in a pile rug individual
short strands of different colour, usually
of wool, are knotted onto the warps and
held together by pressing the wefts tightly
against each other.
The design is created by these separately
knotted strands that form the pile and the
patterns become visible to the eye after the
excessive length of the knotted strands are
shorn off. In conclusion, the kilim rug is
pileless and the carpet rug has pile.
Panja Work on Durries:
This craft is mostly used for making durries, (light woven rugs used as a kind of
floor covering). The craft gets its name
from a metallic claw like tool called panja.
It is a metallic, claw like fork used for beating the weft threads in the warp so as to
adjust it there. The beating is directly proportional to the stability of the durrie.
Patchwork:
The carpets are handcrafted using the
patch work technique. The colourful patterns and textiles used are coordinated and
matched leading to an end product that is
in good taste.
Hand knotting:
Hand-knotted Persian carpets are extremely labour intensive and depend on the
dedication and vision of the weavers: The
result is that hand-knotted Persian carpets
are more lively and vibrant and have a lot
more character than factory rugs.
These last longer and improve with age, being easier to wash at the same time.
Praachi
Ahimsa Silk
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Praachi:
Praachi is an organisation that has been
working in Bhagalpur in the design, production and marketing of Ahimsa silk
through the efforts of its founder Varsha
Rani. Bhagalpur has traditionally been famous for its silk weaving.
Ahimsa Silk:
Ahimsa Silk or Peace Silk is a more humane way to extract silk out of the silk-
worms without killing them. Silk extraction happens after the moths have emerged
from metamorphosis. While Ahimsa Silk
may lack the shine of regular silk, it is
much more comfortable to wear. It’s also
wrinkle-free and has a better fall. And best
of all, it feels good to have not killed any
living being, to wear what you are wearing.
Belaku Trust
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Belaku Trust: Kirana, Deepa and Ushe
The Belaku Trust was set up by a group of
like-minded professionals from health and
social sciences who believed that there was
a need for an organization, that combined
rigorous research and community involvement to improve the quality of life in the
villages of Kanakapura. Though Belaku
Trust was initially started as a research
organization, they soon realized that re-
search was not enough and had to focus on
empowering deprived rural women. Over
the years they have implemented activities
for sustainable livelihoods through skill
and development training.
Kirana:
The Kirana women have been trained in
making recycled paper used to make products like notepads, greeting cards, gift envelopes, gift tags, bookmarks and gift bags.
Deepa:
Deepa Self-Help Group specializes in block
printed products. The women make exquisite silk, scarves, T-shirts, sarongs, belts,
bags, cushion covers, table runners, silk
covered notebooks, tablecloths, bedspreads
and gift wrap paper.
Ushe:
The Ushe Project, trains women in handembroidery and designing. The women
make patched and embroidered bags, sarees, dress material etc.
Himjoli
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Himjoli:
Himjoli means Friend in the Land of Ice.
It is a social venture company that works
with producer groups based in Kumaon,
a mountain region in the state of Uttarakhand.
Himjoli’s mission is to reduce migration to
cities by creating sustainable jobs in the
villages.
Thousands of rural farmers, artisans and
women’s groups are involved in this enterprise that aims to transform lives through
trade, not aid.
Aepan, Aarohi, Natural food from the Himalayas:
Made from the best natural ingredients the
Himalayas have to offer, their products include jams and preserves, honey, pickles,
culinary herbs, oils, scrubs, soaps, hand
knits and hand woven products (including
stoles, shawls, mufflers, accessories), organic products, pulses, spices, cereals, aepan
(traditional art) and a range of traditional
craft products.
These not-for-profits work across several
areas – from education, healthcare, sustainable livelihoods, natural resource management and alternative renewable energy
to women’s development, panchayati raj
representation etc.
Mohan Kumar Prajapati
Mughal Miniatures
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Mohan Kumar Prajapati:
Mohan has been doing miniature painting for more than 30 years in Jaipur. He
believes that people should do more to create awareness about different arts in India.
Mughal Miniature Paintings:
Mughal miniatures are still created today
by a handful of artists. This technique
involves the use of paper called “Vasli”,
made by joining 3 to 5 layers of paper
with natural glue. The paper is placed on a
glass and rubbed with a paper weight. Fine
brushes made of squirrel hair are then used
to paint with stone and vegetable colours.
Since they are organic, the colours do not
fade and remain vivid for years.
Srishti Complex -Athulya, Aranya & Dare
Handmade Paper Products
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Athulya:
Athulya, one of the Units at Srishti Comlex, is a unique venture of Tata Global
Beverages, for the rehabilitation of the
physically challenged dependants of its
employees. The unit originally named Vocational Training Center for the physically
challenged, commenced functioning as an
envelope making unit with just 12 trainees
in 1991.
Today this unit has expanded so much that
it almost fulfils all the stationery requirements of Tata Global Beverages’ in south
and about 25 youngsters with special needs
are benefited.
eucalyptus leaves, lemon grass, pineapple
leaves, onion peel, flower petals, elephant
droppings and water hyacinth (which is a
weed affecting our back waters). Marbling
and pasted paper is also done in hand-made
paper.
Handmade Paper:
They recycle waste paper, cut boards and
other stationery waste from their estate offices. Athulya ventured further and decided the paper created will only use natural
additives found around Munnar like tea,
The paper made from Eucalyptus and
Lemongrass leaves acts as a natural insecticide and effectively repels small insects
and silverfish. They are made into sheets
and can be used for lining book shelves and
cupboards. They are available in the form
of rolls, each consisting of 6 sheets of 2 different sizes.
The unique pineapple leaf paper produced
through a highly labour intensive process.
The lantana paper made from the lantana
stems, a local wild plant, is used for making
various craft items.
The handmade paper produced in the unit
in vibrant colours and designs are used for
making different items like greeting cards,
letter pads, waste paper boxes craft items.
Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra
Lambani Embroidery
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Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra:
Lambani Embroidery:
The centre has been training tribal women
from Sandur and around in the traditional
craft of Lambani Embroidery using mirrors and vibrant colour for more than 25
years. The Kendra assists the Banjara tribe
in design, development and marketing to
keep their traditional needle craft skills
contemporary.
Traditionally this embroidery was done on
personal items of girls to be married. It
was done elaborately on different household accessories that went into the bride’s
trousseau. The traditional costume of the
Lambadi woman glitters with small pieces
of mirror, coins, shells and costume jewellery.
Shyam Venkat
Gond Paintings
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Gond Painting:
Shyam Venkat:
Shyam, born into a tribal family, started
painting at ten. To make ends meet for his
family, Venkat worked as a daily labourer
for many years before he dreamt of following his passion for art. A winner of many
awards, he shares the ethos of art and the
awareness of the subtle nuances that exist
in the paintings of the Gond tribe.
Gond paintings were originally painted
by the tribal people on the walls of their
house. They were not mere decorations,
but also the instant expressions of their
religious sentiments and devotions. The
ground and wall in this case becomes the
canvas on which limestone or charcoal is
used to make various decorative paintings.
Common themes included tribal folk art
painting based on the local festivals like
Karwa Chauth, Deepawali, Ahoi Ashta-
mi, Nag Panchmi, Sanjhi etc; horses, elephants, tigers, birds, gods, men and objects
of daily life in bright and multi-coloured
hues.
Venkat does everything from culture specific painting to highly abstract themes.
He brings a certain freshness to the time
honoured themes. Both modern and traditional stylistic influences have been integrated in the work.
Monica Mahajan
Bengal Embroidery
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Monica Mahajan:
Designer Monica Mahajan from Kolkata,
a haven for designers from all across the
country, works with women in clusters in
various districts of Bengal including Barasat Howrah and Hoogly to bring saris and
dress material with breathtakingly amazing designs and colours to the urban folks!
Hiranakshi Harshwal
Tara
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Tara:
Tara was born out of Hirnakshi Harshwal’s
love for natural materials and handwork,
in Ahmedabad. The designs are simple yet
full of elegance, inspired by numerous aspects of the Indian culture.
2 Green Thumbs
Potted Plants
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2 Green Thumbs:
2 Green Thumbs understands that everyone wants a little green to brighten up
their space, but in different ways. Eco-entrepreneur Monisha Lobo has a special talent for packaging the outdoors into a small
space. Aided by two green thumbs, Monisha’s offerings, which run all the way from
low-maintenance terrariums, to lush ferns
in stylish planters and basic herb gardens,
make great gifts.
She enjoys customizing for her customers
and believes, “Once you discover the plantlover in you, you’ll be addicted for life, just
like I am.” The bestsellers from her stable
are an extension of her personal styleplants in unusual containers and contemporay planters
Samoolam
Crochet
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Samoolam:
Samoolam started in 2009 at Gaya district
of Bihar and works to promote livelihood
development and environment related issues. Their ‘Prosperity- The livelihood
initiative’ trains women with handicrafts
skills. After a year of intensive skill building session the women are able to craft
beautiful handmade crochet jewellery and
accessories.
At Samoolam, the hardworking employees
create beautiful lifestyle products by using the art of crochet. Samoolam offers a
wide variety of Handmade Crochet Jewelry, Belts, Bags & pouches available in a
wonderful range of colors, patterns and
designs.
Crochet:
Crochet is a process of creating fabric from
yarn, thread, or other material strands using a crochet hook. Hooks can be made of
materials such as metals, woods or plastic
and are commercially manufactured as well
as produced by artisans. Crocheting, like
knitting, consists of pulling loops through
other loops, but additionally incorporates
wrapping the working material around the
hook one or more times. A single crochet
hook is used instead of two knitting needles.
Rashid Bhai
Mughal Garden: Mughal Hand-block Prints
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Mughal Gardens by Master Craftsman
Abdul Rashid Bhai:
Affectionately known as Rashid Bhai in
the trade, Abdul Rashid comes from a
family of well known master wood carving craftsmen of several generations who
emigrated from Multan to Jaipur during
the reign of Swai Jai Singh II and initially
settled in Sanganer.
Rashid’s meticulous design vocabulary
embraces elaborate and distinct floral and
geometrical Mughal motifs known for their
softness and richness of colours and designs.
He started his craftsmanship journey as a
block maker. His fascination for creating
fine hand block printed fabric inspired him
in learning different techniques of printing, which he eventually implemented in
his own inimitable, discernible style. He
knows how to weave colour, fabric, texture
and form, letting them bloom harmoniously as a whole.
In mid- 1980s Rashid Bhai and his two
sons, Majid and Wahid, started their own
Karkhana, known as “Mughal Garden”.
Mughal Garden symbolizing revival of the
magnificent old traditional Mughal designs, now popular all over the world.
Mughal Garden fabric designs, ranging in
shades from single to twelve pastel colours
and a variety of techniques like Gold, Khari, Silver and Pigment dyes are spectable
standing on their own entity.
The depth of the carved wooden blocks extents till 0.5-1.0 cm giving them durability
and sharpness.
Block history:
Blocks for printing are carved and con-
structed by specialists block makers. Block
makers from regions, particularly Farrukhabad have taken over much of the
block making trade. Most blocks for printing, on fabric are constructed from hard,
broad grained wood.
Traditionally, Gurjan and Roheda wood
were used to carve blocks. Roheda wood
is specially suited for printing because it is
light weighted and unaffected by moisture.
Today most of the blocks are carved out of
teak which is available in plenty and is not
only hard and broad grained but relatively
light as well.
The pattern is carved such that the area
to be printed is left in relief while the rest
is cut away approximately half cm. to
one cm. away from the patterned surface.
Sometimes, when finely defined patterns
are to be printed, the raised pattern is constructed by using metal strips and nails
embedded into the wood of the block. In a
multicolored pattern, each is printed using
a separate block.
Kumbaya
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Kumbaya:
Kumbaya, the garment fabrication centre
of Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SPS), was set
up with the central mandate to empower
India’s most disadvantaged people- women, Adivasis, Dalits and the poor, by creating a new skill and employment opportunity in the area. This grass roots level
organization has trained over 500 unskilled
women from 45 villages who previously
had no option other than manual labour
to make a living. Today, Contemporary
Patchwork is synonomous with Kumbaya.
Kumbaya makes a range of Indian and
western casual wear, duvets, patchwork
cushion covers, table and bed linen, curtains, wall hangings and different types of
bags and rucksacks.
Vijay Soni
Sanjhi Art
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Pradesh, the legendary home of Krishna.
Ram Soni:
Mr. Ram Soni, National Award winner given by the President of India, belongs to the
only family which has been involved in this
art for five generations.
Sanjhi Art:
Sanjhi, the art of hand cutting designs on
paper, is typical art of Mathura in Uttar
Traditionally, motifs from the Krishna stories are created in stencil and used to decorate spaces during festive seasons, or are
used for filling in with colors in water and
on the floors of temples.
The cutting process requires enormous
skill, concentration and patience, and the
fine detail is achieved with specially designed scissors. Of late, striding latticework patterns of Mughal origin as well as
more contemporary themes have been introduced to widen the repertoire.
At one time this art was believed to be
practiced extensively over Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat but now it
survives only in Mathura.
Suguna Rangaswami
Doll Making
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ing back.
Suguna Rangaswami:
Suguna Rangaswami is said to be one of
the first ones to have introduced fur toys
in the city of Bangalore along with her
friend in the early 1980s. She read about
doll making in a magazine, found it interesting, and attempted to make a fur toy on
her own. The frst toy came out so well that
family and friends advised her to make
more. From then on, there’s been no look-
Since nowadays, cotton or felt cloth covering is preferred to fur; for the fur available
now is artificial and a few children are allergic to it. Suguna is happiest when the
finished doll lives up to her satisfaction.
Doll Making:
A doll is much more than a toy; it is a cherished part of a child’s growing up, a link
between the child and the world of adults.
Doll play encourages children to explore
different roles through caring for and sharing hopes, dreams and experiences with an
always-understanding friend and playmate
and a collectible for adults with nostalgic
value.
Suguna’s toys are made with felt, cotton
with fine sand, beans or cotton stuffing and
are extremely colourful!
Vidushini Prasad
Madhubani
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Vidushini Prasad:
Vidushini is a Bangalore based Madhubani
Artist who was born in Kolkata. Her roots
belong to Bihar, the state where Madhubani painting originated. She was born to
a family of film distributors and grew up
watching Hindi movies.
Fascinated by Madhubani art (that originated in her home state), Vidushini started
to paint again after her first baby. Initially,
it was for decorating home and making
paintings for friends and relatives. But
with encouragement, she had ventured
much further.
Madhubani:
Madhubani Painting is a folk painting from
the region of madhubani and its adjoining
areas that are practiced by woman artists,
where the trend is passed down for generations from mother to daughter.
The area in the northern part of Bihar,
India known as Madhubanior Mithila has
a tradition of painting walls for the beautification of their dwellings. The walls are
decorated with Mythological Murals, Deities of the Hindus and with the local Flora
and Fauna.
Karthik Vaidyanathan
Varnam - Channapatna Lacquer Ware
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Varnam:
sense of pride amongst our master craftspeople for their skill and ensure that these
crafts continue to thrive.
Varnam’s products have been deftly handcrafted by women artisans. The colours
used are natural non-toxic dyes.
Varnam (colours) is an ode to colourful India. They craft philosophy is to bring our
design expertise to traditional crafts and
textiles of South India so as to reorient
them to today’s context . They constantly
engage with craftspeople and have a dialogue on current market trends in terms of
finish, utilitarian value, attention to detail,
etc. In doing so, they hope to enhance the
Channapatna:
Each product in the ‘Stories from Channapatna’ series has been painstakingly handcrafted by an artisan from Channapatna,
Karnataka using the age-old tradition of
lac-turnery. Traditionally used to make
toys, this craft requires tremendous skill
and precision. In an industry where more
than 90% of the artisans are men, most of
Channapatna, a small town on the outskirts of Bangalore, is popular for its
wooden toys and lacquer-ware. As a result
of the popularity of these toys, Channapatna is also known as Gombegala Ooru (toytown) of Karnataka. Its traditional craft
is protected as a geographical indication
(GI) under the World Trade Organization,
administered by the Government of
Karnataka. The origin of these toys can be
traced to the reign of Tipu Sultan who invited artisans from Persia to train the local
artisans in the making of wooden toys.
The Lac-turnery craft
This craft involves several independent steps. The soft wood of the hale tree
(Wrightia tinctoria) or Aale mara is first
turned into circular shapes by the dexterous use of hand, power lathes and suitable
cutting tools. The turned wooden items are
then lacquered by means of frictional heat.
Painted lac deposits itself on the turned
wood and gives it a bright and colourful
appearance. To finish the process, the lacquered piece is buffed with the leaves of
the talegiri (Pandanus odoratissimus) that
gives it that glossy finish.
Karthik Vaidyanathan:
Karthik is an Engineer-MBA with over
14years of experience in the media industry – music, radio and cable television.
Around a year ago, he started working on
a hands-on basis with artisans. Being in a
full-time job, he would travel to Channapatna over weekends and holidays. What
started as a way to satisfy his creative urge
and help the artisans has now paved the
way for a social enterprise. In the coming
year he envisions Varnam to become a profitable enterprise that will continue to give
fair wages to artisans and encourage them
to think beyond their boundaries.
Asha Ram
Mughal Woodcarving and Puzzles
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Jali work:
Asha Ram:
Asha Ram, the delightful old man of
Mughal Hand Carvings, has been involved
in creating beautiful products out of Sheesham, Ebony and Rosewood almost all his
life. The prominent style that can be seen
in the design patterns that he creates is
Mughal.
Carving jaali’s on wood and ivory has been
a very passionate art form since Mughal
times. As being the most intricate art form,
the artisans who were highly skilled were
encouraged with rewards for creating most
outstanding jaali’s to be used in Mughal
palaces.
The heritage continues and still the art is
practiced in the country by a few highly
skilled artisans who have now started
making utility gifts and home products in
wood. Each piece of carved jaali work is a
master’s creation and speaks volumes of
rich Indian heritage. Asha Ram’s range of
Mughal Combs are a delight for any lover
of art and history.
Wood carving:
Wood carving is a form of working wood
by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one
hand or a chisel by two hands or with one
hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet,
resulting in a wooden figure or figurine,
or in the sculptural ornamentation of a
wooden object. Asha Ram has been instrumental in passing on this craft to many
youngsters and has played a significant role
in helping both livelihoods and keeping the
art alive.
Handcrafted Wooden Puzzles:
His latest passion is a delightful range of
handcrafted puzzles. These mind benders
only reinforce the adage that the most com-
plicated problems have a simple solution.
Try your hand at these and get hooked for
life.
Tara Aslam
Nature Alley
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Nature Alley:
“I floated Nature Alley to do my bit toward keeping the tradition of khadi alive.”
says Tara “Karnataka is a khadi hub. In
fact, the Indian flag is made from the khadi
sourced from here. I want to, in my own
small way, help the weavers in the state.
I have recently tied up with the Janapada Seva Trust to encourage weavers in
Melkote.”
Taking another step ahead in the direction
of community building, Tara also gets rural women to execute her designs. “Initially
it was quite a challenge to make them understand my needs and requirements. More
than anything, it was the choice of colours
that we differed on. They felt my choice of
colours were very “mara hua!” and wanted
to use really bright colours. But now they
are conditioned to understand the tastes of
urbanites. The finish of the products is an
importantfactor I ask them to focus on,”
adds Tara.
Her latest collection includes salwars, kurtas and tops. “Urban silhouettes on desi
fabrics is what the collection is all about.
Since I wanted to play with the beauty
of the fabric and let people enjoy khadi, I
have kept the embroidery on it minimal,”
says Tara. A range of happy colours dominate this line of clothing. Bangles, bags,
necklaces and patch work quilts are also
a part of the collection. Kalamkari prints
are also put to good use while designing the
garments.
Naresh & Dileep
Warli
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Warli Art:
Naresh & Dileep:
This is a story of two friends brought together by the love of the art. Living in rural Maharashtra, the duo have experimented with the traditional Warli art to evolve
a signature stle of their own. Their finesse
and attention to detail draws the viewer
into an emotional journey with their intricate patterns.
Warli folk art has its origins in Maharashtra. Warli is the name of the largest tribe
found on the northern outskirts of Mumbai. The word “ Warli” comes from “warla” which means a piece of land or a field.
Warli Art was first discovered in the early
seventies. While there are no records of the
exact origins of this art, its roots may be
traced to as early as the 10th century AD.
Warli is the vivid expression of daily and
social events of the Warli tribe of Maha-
rashtra, used by them to decorate the walls
of village houses. This was the only means
of transmitting folklore to a others who are
not acquainted with the written word.
These paintings do not depict mythological characters or images of deities, but
depict social life. Images of human beings
and animals, along with scenes from daily
life are created in a loose rhythmic pattern.
Painted white on mud walls, they are pretty close to pre-historic cave paintings in
execution and usually depict scenes of hu-
man figures engaged in activities like hunting, dancing, sowing ,harvesting, going out,
drawing water from well, drying clothes or
even dancing.
Warli paintings on paper have become very
popular and are now sold all over India. Today, small paintings are done on cloth and
paper but they look best on the walls or in
the form of huge murals that bring out the
vast and magical world of the Warlis. For
the Warlis, tradition is still adhered to but
at the same time new ideas have been al-
lowed to seep in which helps them face new
challenges from the market.
Vinita Jain
Winnie’s Papercraft
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Ramona Patel
Hand Embroidery & Smocking
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