The 1920’s in India saw Company Style due to the ongoing British Colonial Period. While Early Modern Indian Painting had subjects which were purely Indian but were drawn with western techniques and Bengal School was a reaction to the Western influence – reviving our rich cultural heritage. A century later, 32 year old illustrator –…
Category: decorate
Its literally taking ‘generations’ to revive a near extinct textile
Few weeks ago I attended a symposium by Craft Revival Trust titled ‘After the Nawabs’ highlighting Himroo which could well be a textile of a bygone era. Textile aficionados who missed it could actually pick up Radhika Singh’s book ‘Suraiya Hasan Bose:Weaving a legacy’ about a legendary weaver in her mid-eighties. I sat there mesmerized…
Silk, Gold and Silver from Benaras: The City of Lights
PRA – KASHI: Silk, Gold & Silver from the City of Light National Museum, New Delhi 10th September – 8th October 2019 Minakari Panel “Pra – Kashi: Silk, Gold & Silver from the City of Light” is an exhibition of textiles showcasing the finest traditions of contemporary handwoven weaves done on traditional Indian drawlooms over the…
Surrealism, Expressionism and Modernism in furniture
With Independence Day round the corner, we realized that Indian cultural history scales were completely titled towards our oppressors in regards to furniture, specially for homes. From the Persian and European travellers’ journals one comes to know of just a rich and beautiful Vijayanagar state in fourteenth-century, Southern India, having carpenters on their payroll, long…
‘Woven Threads’ from Nagaland
I have been following Woven Threads since a while now on social media and exhibitions. Also conversed with its creative head Kevisedenuo Margaret Zinyu who is from Kohima, Nagaland at Dastkar, Delhi on a few occasions. But each time our conversations steered towards… why we Indians are not wanting to shell out anything more than the price of…
Their mosaic projects
Truly happy to hear that today India stands united with our Kashmiri brothers and sisters. Thankfully craft never had any such boundaries to fight over. One such example being Mosaic – starting in Mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium BC. Pebble mosaics were made in Tiryns in Mycenean Greece while the ones with patterns and pictures became widespread during classical times in Ancient…
Evoking desire in a sublime or refined fashion
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa Your love has made me dance like mad Tere Ishq ne dera mere andar keeta Bhar ke zeher payala main taan aape peeta, Jhabde wahudi tabiba nahin te main mar gaiyaan Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa Falling in love with you Was like taking a sip…
Iconic Japanese folds made functional
To begin with, I read up on various Origami styles e.g. the Golden Venture Folding or the three dimensional one, Modular made into smaller units with cut pieces of paper, the Action model is interactable, Wet Folding is for a softer and delicate look, Kirigami involves both folding and cutting paper, while the one seen…
A realist, and dark artist’s tryst with embroidery
I avoid horror films or anything dark but this embroidery art drew my cynosure because of its brightly coloured beads and threadwork. Using colours and embellishment his artworks lighten heady realism of unrest and extremism today. Presently, working on his next exhibit is the artist – Theegulla Venkanna, at Kalhath Institute, Lucknow. Founded by Lucknow Design…
Make this eco-friendly ceramic tableware your festive gift this season
The first Indian Ceramics Triennale: Breaking Ground is on at the Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur (in collaboration with the Contemporary Clay Foundation) till 18th November 2018. This and few other exhibitions in the recent past have been slowly and steadily bringing to fore ceramics in India. On the surface it seems like a sudden burst…
