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New Delhi

Traditional sari gets a modern twist

Staff Reporter

Champion weaver: Guda Srinu from Andhra Pradesh was honoured with the Sutrakar Samman for the year 2010 by eminent designer Ritu Kumar in New Delhi on Monday.

NEW DELHI: Traditional patterns are matched with contemporary colours, motifs that were restricted to heirlooms are recreated and the traditional sari that once threatened to become extinct has emerged as a garment that is here to stay. At “Sarees 2010”, an exhibition of handcrafted saris put together by the Delhi Crafts Council that opened at Aga Khan Hall here on Monday, the traditional sari has been given a contemporary twist by master craftspersons.

“This year the exhibition ‘Sarees 2010: Innovating Tradition' has artisans drawing attention to new designs evolved by those who have been working over the years to revive and re-establish the traditional in a contemporary context. The established techniques of block printing, weaving, tie and dye are being represented in exciting new forms and designs,” says a DCC member.

Set up by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, the DCC is a registered voluntary non-profit organisation that works for revitalisation and promotion of traditional Indian crafts. For the first time the exhibition sponsors have invited a non-government organisation from Jammu & Kashmir to showcase work put together by women craftspersons.

“We are not charging anything from them. It is an attempt to encourage women from the State and a new initiative for us,” says the member.

The NGO ‘Nai Kiran' has over 50 women crafting garments with traditional Kashmiri embroidery. “We work in difficult circumstances; work that takes weeks has to be completed in days. The women work very hard, and their work has paid off. Initially the NGO was funded by the Confederation of Indian Industry, but now we plough back our earnings into the NGO and are self-sustaining,” says Zahida of Nai Kiran.

For several participating groups environment is as big a concern as is empowerment of weavers. “We use organic cotton, we use natural dyes and we work with Ahimsa silk to create out range of products,” says Vijayalakshmi Nachiar of Ethicus, a Chennai-based organisation.

The quest for retaining the know-how of ancient and traditional arts and crafts has seen artisans blend the old with the new. Anuradha Kuli from Assam with her works under the brand “Naturally Anuradha” uses the traditional methods of weaving and colouring to create garments.

Passing on wisdom

“From raw materials to the finished products we do everything on our own, using natural products and the knowledge that is passed on from one generation to another. For instance, we create a colour using turmeric and iron,” says Anuradha.

Using natural dyes and other traditional weaving methods adds to the price of the garments but artisans claim that has not deterred the connoisseurs. “We get orders despite the fact that we sell only through exhibitions and don't really have a shop,” she adds.

Also making an effort to bring the focus back on the traditional designs, textures and colours is ‘ Raw Mango', an effort to revive the famous Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh. “Our focus has been on simplifying the designs. It was a challenge to get the artisans to design simple saris, less elaborate motifs because they feared it may not sell. The effort to design garments keeping in mind the space around them has been successful,” says Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango.

An artisan from Andhra Pradesh, Guda Srinu, was presented with Sutrakar Samman for the year 2010. A resident of Puttapakka in Andhra Pradesh, Srinu practises the Ikat style of weaving from that region which was earlier known as the “Telia Rumal”. Textile designer and author Ritu Kumar presented the award at the inaugural function to Srinu on Monday.

The exhibition is open up to this Wednesday.

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