The Hindu : New Delhi News : Threading the Commonwealth in fabric

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 22, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Threading the Commonwealth in fabric

COLOURFUL: An image of Yoruba garment from Nigeria.

It is all about the politics of cloth. Threading the Commonwealth in fabric quite literally, this exhibition celebrates the cloth of these countries. While athletes compete with each other on the field for medals at the Commonwealth Games, at the RMIT Gallery in Melbourne people can get a chance to see the vast textile heritage that "binds" them at the exhibition titled "Threading the Commonwealth -- Textile Tradition, Culture, Trade and Politics''.

From its political dimension that Mahatma Gandhi exploited to bring the British Empire to a standstill with khadi to its ritual aspects in culture, the exhibition showcases the rich textile tradition of 31 countries.

The exhibition has Jasleen Dhamija -- an Indian -- as a consultant curator. Having spent most of her life in the service of textiles, the only place on the map she has not worked in is Latin America. And given her expertise in the field, she knew exactly what she wanted from where.

"We managed to get a real costume of Queen Victoria on loan. The imperial powers were the strongest in her time. We surrounded her costume with the replicas of dhotis that Mahatma Gandhi wore which reversed the whole process. The whole exhibition took a year to organise," she explained.

There is also a "copy" of the shirt Nelson Mandela wore when he was sworn in as President of South Africa. "We also managed to get a jacket worn by Jawaharlal Nehru, which was lent to us by an anonymous donor. I put a rose in the buttonhole before the opening," she said.

The exhibition might not have not made news here, but it has got rave reviews in Australia.

"The minister who came to inaugurate was awe-struck. People have been saying that there has never been such an exhibition in Melbourne before. It even found a mention in Parliament," said a beaming Ms. Dhamija. -- Mandira Nayar

-- Mandira Nayar

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail