Artist Talkies: Sufiyan Ismail Khatri & Ajrakh

In June 2010, a few months prior to The Color Caravan's formal launch, I travelled to a small village called Ajrakhpur in Kutch, Gujarat. I was introduced to Ajrakh - a unique technique in handblock printing by my friend Stina Gardek, a textile designer from Sweden who was then a visiting faculty at Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya. Stina introduced me to Sufiyan Khatri, son of master craftsman Dr Ismail Mohammad Khatri, who invited us to his home for a delicious lunch, followed by a visit to his workshop where he told us about his family’s history and walked us through the process of Ajrakh printing. 

Sufiyan told us the meaning of Ajrakh; it is loosely translated into “aaj rakh” which means “to keep it today”. These simple words are so evocative of this idea of patience that is really necessary for the survival of this art form. The process is complex as it may involve anywhere from 14-16 steps, depending upon how many colors and layers of block print are desired. The art uses natural dyes that include a mixture of camel dung, soda ash and castor oil, waste iron, myrobalan, madder, indigo, pomegranate peel boiled in water, the root of rhubarb and sprays of turmeric water.

Sufiyan Ismail Khatri

Sufiyan's roots can be traced back to the medieval times (circa 17th century) when his ancestors coming from Sindh settled in Kutch. He easily recounted nine generations of his forefathers ever since they settled in Kutch. The then emperor, Raja Rao Bharmal I invited these people to settle themselves in the village of Dhamadka so that these printed fabric could be provided to the royal family exclusively. This really helped the community because of the proximity of the Saran river to this village; water is an essential ingredient of the Ajrakh process because it constitutes an important part of the natural dyeing process thereby cutting down on many expenses that the community might have otherwise incurred. 

Gum

Indigo dye

The indigo plant from which the indigo dye is extracted

Blocks for printing

The Khatris have been a trading community and they thrived because of the traditional market of the olden times. The Kutch traditional markets included the Malir, Sirakh and Ajrakh forms of printing which were worn by the men and women of the Sindhi and Jat communities. These prints and patterns were an important attire of the Sindhi and Jat cattle herders who wore them as turbans and other clothes of various patterned designs. The proximity of the market and the Saran river were the essential reasons that made the Khatri community settle in Dhamadka, apart from the easy availability of the natural dye ingredients. 

Printing in progress

The process is complex as it may involve up to 16 steps, depending upon how many colors and layers of block print are desired.

A stunning Ajrakh stole

Around 1950-60s, the making of natural dues was stopped for about 15 years due to the easy availability of chemical dyes that infiltrated the markets. This meant that many of the local artisans shifted to chemical dyes over natural dyes. Sufiyan’s grandfather, Mohammad Siddique Khatri was also one of the artisans who shifted to chemical dyes, but wanted at the same time to keep hold of the tradition that had helped the community survive for so long. This meant that he ensured that his three sons, of whom one was Dr. ismail Khatri, learnt the traditional method of using natural dyes in Ajrakh printing by telling them the nuances of natural dye printing and then elaborating the process on small pieces of cloth. 


Sufiyan’s grandfather used to sell clothes in the local market and that is how his family’s luck changed. Once while transporting his products to the markets, he was stopped by a police superintendent and was asked to show what he was carrying. What was going to be a harrowing experience changed his luck entirely. The police superintendent was so impressed by Mohammad Khatri’s work that he visited them and seeing the naturally dyed cloth, ended up ordering many of them while referring the Khatri’s art to many of his friends. This spiked interest in the art so much that Sufiyan’s grandfather restored the vegetable dyes in the resist printing process. This lead to an even more exciting venture where the family was introduced around 1975 to Mr. Bhasin, who was the director of Gurjari (Gujarat State Handicraft Development Coperation Limited). When Mr. Bhasin saw the natural dyeing process, he was impressed. But he wanted them to excel at their work, so he collaborated with people of National Institute of Design and sent two designers to their village. They stayed for a little over a week with the family to teach them color combination and improving on the overall layout of the patterns. This mutual appreciation helped Ajrakh printing so much so that they ventured out to the national markets. They reached to markets in Ahmedabad to Delhi and Bombay, ultimately finding appreciation in the global markets ever since. 

After the devastating earthquake in 2001, many Ajrakh block-printing artisans in their native village Dhamadka had their homes and workshops destroyed.The earthquake not only affected buildings, but affected the mineral content of the river Saran. This change affected the way the fabric absorbs the dye through this traditional process. That's when Dr Ismail Khatri decided to move his base. He came forward to establish a block printing settlement, a tiny village named 'Ajrakhpur' in Kutch and the artists relocated to Ajrakhpur which has suitable water. This small village is an example of rebuilding lives from scratch.

Sufiyan credits his grandfather and father as the men who inspired him to take up his family’s tradition. But he’s greatly indebted to his father who over these years has gained recognition in the world of handicrafts. Dr. Ismail Khatri has so vociferously stood by his family’s craft tradition that he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Leicester de Montfort. 

'The' Dr Ismail Mohammad Khatri

Sufiyan had a story up his sleeves regarding this too. He told us that when his father gave his first lecture in broken English at the university, people were amazed by his history, which made them proclaim that he would be awarded the doctorate 

for his achievements. His father who didn’t know what it meant, asked them what a doctorate was? They explained that it was the highest degree awarded for excellence in a particular field of study which prompted another question from Dr. Khatri on why was he being considered given that he hadn't studied at all. They smiled and told him that he was the reason that many of their students had got their doctorates in the research of Ajrakh block printing methods; that he was a Master of his Arts that had prompted the university to consider Dr. Ismail Khatri for such an honor. Dr. Ismail Khatri also holds a National Merit Certificate for his contributions to the field of Indian handicrafts. 

Sufiyan Ismail Khatri

Sufiyan also told us a little more about his connection to the Ajrakh printing process. He said it has been sixteen years since he was first introduced to the craft form. One of the biggest reasons that he has continued in the family tradition is because he never saw it as a business process. He was rather enticed by the colors and the patterns when he first took it up as a hobby. From gaining recognition in the traditional markets to being earmarked by many Indian designers like Tarun Tahiliani, Sabyasachi, Anita Dongre; Sufiyan has seen it all. But he prizes his UNESCO Award that he received in 2008 as one tenderest to his heart. He just wants his craft to do well in a time of extreme competitive markets where many replicas of the Ajrakh print have infiltrated the markets. And with the labour costs increasing and the water resources depleting in their village, he seriously fears for his craft. Probably that is why he wants to impart knowledge of this dying art to as many people as possible. 

He coyly told us that over the years, he has travelled to a few countries to demonstrate the Ajrakh printing process some of which include Germany, Austria, and Switzerland although he prefers to show them the natural dyeing process back at his village. He told us that over the past few decades he has seen many art enthusiasts visit the village to know about the intricacies of Ajrakh resist printing method on sarees, stoles, dupattas, lungis, and even on suits. 

Sufiyan's says that true art can only be recognized when it is both seen by the eyes and felt by the hands because these are the two senses that an artisan invests in the most when he creates a piece of art. And these words really do ring true when cheaper replicas are thriving in the markets. 

 The Color Caravan is extremely lucky to be working with great craftsmen like Dr Ismail Mohammad Khatri & Sufiyan Ismail Khatri. 

To check some of the their creations available on The Color Caravan store, click here.

We turn three today:)

Artist Talkies: Weaving a Kutch craft story with Vankar Murji Hamir

It has been around 22 years or more since Vankar Murji learnt and excelled the art of weaving. Hailing from the Kutch community of Marwada Vankar, he reminisces about the family tradition that has made him the man that he is today. Tradition is of a lot of import for him because it is the reason that made him take up weaving. His father and his grandfather were weavers in their time and parampara (tradition) made him pick up this wonderful art himself. His father, Hamirbhai was a master weaver associated with the Bhujodi Weaver’s Cooperative and Murji bhai sources him and his brother Dayarambhai as his inspirations to take up weaving.

Vankar Murji  
pic courtesy: Vankar Murji

Now, he is a self made weaver who wants to continue this family tradition. He has 10-15 artisans working alongside him to promote Bhujodi village’s otherwise dying art. Many of them are his relatives, some directly related to him while others are distantly related to him. In a village of about a few hundreds of weavers, Murji bhai wants time to be his ally so that this fading handicraft finds appreciation in a growing modern India.

Murji bhai as he’s fondly called by many who know him, talks us through the process of weaving. From the olden days, his village had tie ups with the nomadic clan of the Rabaris who’d provide dhaaga or thread from woolen fleece from the local sheep and goats that would be used for weaving to be exchanged as shawls and other such necessities. For his predecessors, wool has been their trademark material in the production of shawls and blankets for the community.

But since India’s independence in 1947 to the protectionism phase of Indian economy till about 1991; that saw the local markets opening up for national markets, to the impact of globalization a few decades later has seen wool losing contention against the acrylic wool counterparts and cotton. He rues the slow process of converting the yarn to thread that has made the community to shift to acrylic wool.

With the open market leading to increasing opportunities, the materials and their handloom weaving business progressed by incorporating designs and patterns to their products. They started fusing their traditional patterns with market trends to improve their business and name. One of the biggest motto that Vankar Murji abides by is the elaborate yet intrinsic fusing of traditional and modern methods but incorporating the insignia of his community; of weaving with hands and working the traditional loom to weave fabrics dipped in warmth and affection. Thereby reiterating that time is not the essential factor in the completion of his products.

pic courtesy: Vankar Murji

Over the years, the Bhujodi village has found recognition with Vankar Murji Hamir’s weaver organization where a group of 10 weaving families along with 20 women experiment with their traditional form due to mutating fashion trends. Changing times have seen them bringing together weaving and designing techniques together; nowadays, different block printing, embroidery works and tie-dyeing art forms are learnt by them to combine with their traditional weaving methods.

                        

Murji bhai recalls devoting time for a designing course in 2008 with a childhood friend at Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya in Kutch, Gujarat. And that was one of the biggest moments of inspiration for him and his organisation. His final project for the academy was named “Miri” and it was inspired by the Dhablo weaving method, called ghoontni wherein he placed an extra finger weave over the handloom weaved cloth. This became his specialty and has been his trademark method ever since.

One of the biggest credits that one can give to Murji bhai is that he loves learning more about his tradition and improving on it. But that doesn't mean he’ll forego the importance that technology bears on his art. He and his team are constantly on the lookout for trends that help his products in the market. He is constantly working with Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya, local NGOs and other organizations like The Color Caravan wherein he keeps in touch with not only the market trends but the virtual world. He believes that “age is no barrier when it comes to learning” and his best teachers over the years have been his customers.

Currently, Murji bhai is attending exhibitions in and around India where he displays his weaving prowess. His organisation specializes in shawls, stoles, jackets, sarees, mufflers. They have even expanded to bed sheets, cushion covers and even curtains. When quizzed about his children’s reaction to his growing fame, he says that his three children themselves question him about his art. He wants them to learn because he says this craft is his sole lineage, an essential part of his community’s identity. It’s his identity. He wishes his son would grow up to be a “loom ka engineer”. But he also has great designs to include his daughters into his business, thereby breaking tradition of allowing women in the weaving business. 

He signs off by echoing his family’s words; our identity lies in our craft. We wish to see Murji bhai climbing great heights on the basis of his works because amazing artists like him are a rarity in this age of blind consumer capitalism which has seen many traditional art forms in India dying out. He knows that struggle is unavoidable since he’s an independent artist but he has not lost heart. He’s rather inspired and sees a bright future for his craft and his community.

Vankar Murji's beautiful creations are now available on thecolorcaravan.com
To buy them online click here.

The photographs in this post cannot be used in any form without written permission.

Help Uttarakhand

LET'S JOIN HANDS TO HELP UTTARAKHAND

Dear Friends,

Given the situation in Uttarakhand, three NGOs Karm Marg, Kadam and Samoolam have come together along with a local Uttarakhand partner, Mr. JP Mathanki of the Aagaas Federation. Their plan is to support five villages(see PPT file for details) over the course of a year in the Badrinath valley. Very little attention has been given there so far, farmlands and cattle have been washed away and the locals barely have any means of earning a livelihood. 

'Help Uttarakhand - Let's Join Hands' initiative will start with providing these villages immediate support as state help has barely reached yet because of their remote location and non accessibility due to the broken roads. Their trucks will take the supplies till Kaulagarh in Dehradun OR to Pipalikot. Distribution to the remote villages will be done by the volunteers on foot and donkey back, till the roads are rebuilt by the BRO team. 

How much they will be able to help will depend on how much funds we all can help them raise. We request you to join hands with us and help in any way possible. No contribution is too small. Donations in the form of cash or kind are equally welcome. 

Donations in kind can be dropped at:

DELHI - Karm Mard, 201, 2nd floor, Jeevan nagar, New Delhi - 110014  Tel +911143534735

NOIDA - A 30, sector 23, Noida (near Noida city centre Metro station)  Tel +919910000861

FARIDABAD - Karm Marg Home, Village Khedi Kallan, Faridabad  Tel +919899392567

GURGAON - E 903, Central Park I, Gurgaon  Tel +919810508928

All the contributions are being routed through the NGO Karm Marg's account in order to maintain complete transparency and the 80G tax exemption to donors. If you are transferring money, please email us your name, address, contact number and PAN card number for tax purposes at :
letsjoinhands2013@gmail.com

For E transfers from within India:

Account Name: KARM MARG

Name of the Bank: Central Bank of India

Branch: M-2, South Extension - II, New Delhi 110049

A/c No: 1160140210

MICR Code: 11001036

IFS Code: CBIN0280976

SWIFT Code: CBININBBXXX

Cheques to be issued in the name of KARM MARG.

For any Inquiries or updates call Pooja - +919910000861/Veena - +91989939567.

P.S. - People behind Karm Marg, Kadam and Samoolam are my friends. Be assured that your money will be used to support the 5 villages mentioned in the pdf. 

Looking forward to your support.

Warm Regards,

Swati Seth

Founder - The Color Caravan

Madhubani Jewelry by The Color Caravan

This summer has all been about carrying forward the art of innovation and design in our approach to handicrafts. The Color Caravan has yet again ventured into the mesmerizing art of Madhubani thanks to the popular demand for Madhubani beaded neck-pieces which were launched in 2011.

Madhubani jewelry launched by The Color Caravan in 2011

We were energized to envision a new style of wearable craft evolved from our earlier Madhubani neck-piece designs. Our summer intern Dhanushree Dhasmana, a student of Lifestyle & Accessory Design from National Institute of Design(Gandhinagar) developed the 'new 'Madhubani necklace collection. Dhanushree co-created these Madhubani  neck-pieces along with our colleague Kanchan who assisted her on this project and of course our very talented Madhubani artist Hira Devi.

Our partner artist Heera Devi

Once again, we gave some wooden rings to Heera di and asked her to  paint them over in vivid colors with Madhubani Art. Our aim was to take these beautiful round concoctions and to forge them into contemporary masterpieces. To conceive a bold accessory which shall make a distinct fashion statement for the women of today.

With this idea we indulged into the different exotic combinations of materials which accentuate the wooden rings. We experimented with various compositions along with resham (silken) threads, brass metal sheet, brass ghungroos, wooden beads and metal beads.

These explorations lead to the creation of fascinating joineries from which we selected the sequences which brought out the perfect blend of the craft, color and life. These visually impressionistic compositions were ready to intrigue and conquer our followers.

Our research on a distinct theme board, mood board and color palette directed us to a mesmerizing fusion we wished to achieve. For the women in power, ready to ‘bring some bling’ in their styled apparel, this new range of neck pieces were discovered.

There were four ranges developed from these inaugurations.
The first range incorporates three exquisite wooden rings, brought together by a blast of bold coloured resham(silken) threads and cords. A bunch of small brass ghungroos have been further added to the neck piece to add a little playfulness to the beholder’s walk.

The second range is one of our festive compositions. The three wooden rings are brought together by golden zari thread, black resham (silken) threads and a exuberant clinking bunch of small golden ghungroos.

The third range is an inventive, western attempt with entrancing combinations of wooden rings of adjustable length variety. These rings have been designed such as to attract a sense of individuality in all generations.

The fourth range of neck piece involves an unconventional yet magnetic blast of colors; contrasting resham (silken) threads, wrapped around the wooden rings, have been used to “trendify” the vibrant beaded chain. This combination of the wooden rings with different tubular beads brings a youthful extravaganza to the apparel.

The earlier range of Madhubani neck piece is back on popular demand. These pieces includes decorous and stimulating combinations of different styles of round and flat beads joined together with wooden rings. This conception aims to bring a complete look to the Indian apparel, representing a powerful persona.

The entire collection is available on our eStore here.

 The Color Caravan owns copyright for all the photographs in this post. Cannot be used in any form without written permission.

Pipli applique work - the vibrant craft from Orissa

Orissa is one of those states of India that is world renowned for its handicrafts. One of the most popular crafts of Orissa is the gorgeous Appliqué technique work that comes from the town of Pipli. In the local slang, this technique of patching cloth design is usually known as “Chandua”.

Picture source: The Color Caravan

Pipli is a small town, situated about 40 kilometers from Puri, Orissa. The income of this town is essentially dependent on the sale of its handicrafts of which the appliqué works are the main source. 


Appliqué is a French technique that basically cuts up various colored fabrics which are then sewn on to the surface of another foundation fabric. It was first discovered when clothes were ripped and they needed to be sewn over in order to fix them. But essentially it has now developed into a needlework technique in which smaller pieces of fabric, materials like small mirrors and other forms of embroidery are sewn onto a bigger piece of cloth to create designs and patterns.

Picture source: The Color Caravan

Many products are doled out by this small town. The streets are kaleidoscope of colors; choc-a-bloc of Trasa banners, Chandua-canopies, Chhattri-umbrellas, animal puppets, wall hangings, covers for shrines, parasols, bags, pouches, cushion covers and lanterns. Samiana or canopies and chhattri/umbrellas carry the most appliqué techniques of the utmost artistic skills. These crafts are mostly inherited, comes down from family to family. Pipli applique technique mostly uses cut patches of cloth which are then designed usually in flower, birds and animal patterns. They then are sewn into bedcovers, cushions, lamp shades, etc. The colors that are usually used are the four primary colors: black, white, red and yellow but over time other colors have been introduced to enliven the craft.


Pipli Appliqué formed the backbone of Orissa’s craft industry initially but over the years they had fallen into decline until recently it found its way back to popularity by catering to a wider array of customer needs. Usually casement, suede and velvet goes in the making of Pipli appliqués with women acting as the main designers of the work while the men merely involving themselves in the cutting of the cloth stylistically.

Picture source: The Color Caravan

There has been a lot of demand for Pipli works and one of the major sources of income for these artisans are the Pipli appliqué lamp. A lot of effort goes in the making of something that looks really simple and stylish. There’s a lot of cutting and sewing involved apart from the embroidery and mirror work that goes into the making of a lampshade.


Pipli lampshades are intricately made and the time taken to put up a lampshade is entirely dependent on the complexity of the pattern. Usually a smaller sized lampshade takes about a day but sometimes the bigger pieces with more intricate workings of patterns and designs take up about two to three months.




Picture source: dsource.in

 

The designing of the lampshades begins with a simple stenciling of the size of the lampshade required and then cutting the shape out on a cardboard paper. The stencil outlines are then traced out neatly over the cloth. The important thing to note
is the artisans’ need to preserve the cloth because they believe in minimal wastage and try to rescue and recycle as much cloth and material as possible. The traced outlines are then cut onto many identical layers of cloth which then are bundled together. This makes it easy to store and use them when required.

Picture source: dsource.in

Lampshades usually make use of a coarse and low cost material cloth onto which the appliqués are then machine stitched in simple and decorative patterns. Then the artisans make use of wooden or iron rings to mould it into the shape of the lampshade. And once the cloth is stitched onto it the embellished mirrors are stacked onto it using simple stitching process. Many artisans even add borders and other forms of embellishment to enhance the beauty of the lampshades.

Picture source: dsource.in

These lampshades are usually prepared in bulk because they are extensively used during festivals. But since they have even picked up a market in many cities, they are constantly in demand. This has meant a steady means of employment for many men and women in the town of Pipli.

Picture source: dsource.in

Amazingly, in lampshades alone, over 1000 designs and patterns are available. This coupled with the fact that they produce the most serene ambience has ensured that these lampshades won’t go out of trend for a very
long time.

Picture source: The Color Caravan

A growing demand for Pipli art, especially by foreign tourists has resurrected this previously neglected cottage industry. Machine stitching has also caught up with the artisans of this town which is a proud achievement for these workers. But the people of this town are mostly proud of their handcrafted achievements because that is the purest way of keeping their art heritage alive.

Picture source: The Color Caravan

Check out some gorgeous Pipli applique lampshades currently available on The Color Caravan eStore.


Reference: Handmade in India, dsource.in, orissa.com

Kantha Embroidery

Kantha hails from the regions of erstwhile East Bengal, present day West Bengal and Bihar. Essentially a woman's art, it is a form of patched, quilted and vividly embroidered textile made entirely out of used cloth.


It originated from the way in which Bengali housewives mended old clothes by taking out a strand of thread from the colorful border of their saris and making simple designs with them. Old saris and dhotis are used to make handmade gifts for family and friends.
   

Picture Credit: Katna's Katha

The Sanskrit word ‘kontha’ means 'rags.' One of the many stories regarding the origin of the craft links it to Lord Buddha and his disciples, who used to cover themselves with garments made from discarded rags that were patched and sewn together. The oldest extant Kantha date from the early 19th century and is embroidered with blue, black and red threads that were unraveled from sari borders. Because they were salvaged from used garments that had been frequently laundered, the colors tend to be muted.

The original craft process involves layering worn clothes together and binding them with variations of the simple running stitch. This process is called Kantha quilting. Even though the craft uses only one kind of stitch, it is the numerous variations and intricacy with which it is executed that make the art beautiful. Motifs used in embroidery may be geometric or very elaborate in nature. Flowers, tress, gods and goddesses make for the more popular motifs used.

Picture credit: embroiderytechnique.blogspot.in

Often Kantha tells a story through its embroidery of different tales using symbolic motifs, thereby receiving its name from the Hindi word 'Katha' or story.


Contemporary Katha doesn’t necessarily follow this process. The embroidery has been used on various products like saris, cloth, bed sheets, cushion covers etc. primarily on cotton or silk.



Picture credit: The Color Caravan

 The Color Caravan has worked to co-create Kantha cushion covers with the women of our partner NGO in Uttarakhand who are 'exceptionally' good with Kantha embroidery, patchwork & applique work.

Craftswomen at our partner NGO.

Craftswomen at our partner NGO.

Craftswoman at our partner NGO.

Our creation has adapted the traditional Kantha stitch in a more contemporary form, using  Bhagalpur silk and cotton cloth. 









Check out our complete collection on our eStore www.thecolorcaravan.com

 (The Color Caravan the copyrights for all the photographs in this post unless otherwise mentioned.)