C R A F T I N I N D I A S E R I E S‘ ’

Hand painted Kalamkari, Sri Kalahasti

We are proud to launch this unique ‘Craft in India’ series

through YES CULTURE – an initiative that is committed

to the revival, preservation and sustenance of India’s

heritage. The historically imbibed plural aesthetics

of the Indian handicrafts are priceless economic and

cultural assets of the country. The production of

handicrafts is (after agriculture) the largest source of

income among rural populations – an estimated 11.65

million Indians were engaged in craft production in

2013. This is expected to grow to 13.93 million in 2017

and 17.79 million in 2022. India has highly skilled

and trained artisans or karigars, and we must share

the responsibility to further boost their livelihood

prospects. We need public-private engagement in this

segment more than any other, such that the original

and historical ‘Make in India’ products can be revived.

Crafts are not only our heritage, they are our global

comparative advantage.

A strong impetus needs to be given to the crafts

industry. Through the ‘Craft in India’ Series, we intend

to promote the rich cultural traditions of India’s

crafts. We are fortunate that India’s past has given us

innovative crafts. In this age of design, we believe that

India must leverage its strength in creative crafts to

position itself as a global power.

MD & CEOChairman

MD & CEOChairman

RANA KAPOOR

RANA KAPOORChairman

MD & CEO

RANA KAPOOR

RANA KAPOORChairman

MD & CEO

RANA KAPOOR

RANA KAPOORChairman

MD & CEO

RANA KAPOOR

RANA KAPOORChairman

MD & CEO

Rana Kapoor

Rana KapoorChairman

MD & CEO

Rana Kapoor

Rana KapoorChairman

MD & CEO

Rana Kapoor

Rana KapoorChairman

MD & CEO

Rana Kapoor

Rana KapoorChairman

MD & CEO

MD & CEOChairman

MD & CEOChairman MD & CEOChairman

MD & CEOChairman MD & CEOChairman

MD & CEOChairman

PREETI SINHAGlocal Convenor Senior President

PREETI SINHAGlocal Convenor

Senior President

PREETI SINHAGlocal Convenor Senior President

PREETI SINHAGlocal Convenor

Senior President

ABOUT THE ‘CRAFT IN INDIA’ SERIESTraditional craft techniques are emblematic of a living

heritage and provide employment to 7 million people

in rural India. According to the United Nations, over

the past 30 years, the number of Indian artisans has

decreased by 30%, indicating the need to re-invest in

artisans to safeguard history, culture and an important

source of livelihood. YES Global Institute’s ‘Craft in India’

Series attempts to spark a dialogue around various

facets of the crafts industry and recent trends that

are acting as a catalyst for its cultural and economic

rejuvenation and growth. In this age of design, we

believe that India must leverage its strength in creative

crafts to position itself as a global power. The ‘Craft in

India’ banner encompasses several topical symposiums,

initiatives and workshops to define the debate within

crafts and creative industry.

LIVING THROUGH THE CRAFTS: REINVENTING TRADITIONAL EMBROIDERYAPRIL 2016

Laila Tyabji, Craft Revivalist in conversation with Asif Shaikh, Master

Embroiderer and Ashdeen Z Lilaowala, Textile Designer

Hand embroidery as a technique in India has not only animated and

embellished textiles for generations but has also narrated the tales of

aspirations and perseverance of the practicing communities. An organic

or constructed trail of threads, beads, sequin interwoven together to form

motifs, textures variably signify identity, traditions and attitudes of both

the makers and consumers of these sewn patterns. The panel discussion

‘Living through the Crafts: Reinventing Traditional Embroidery’ through the

language of embroidery construed certain issues of identity and sustenance

not only of the crafts, but also of communities. Discussions centered around

vital channels of design development and entrepreneurial support which can

be put in place to empower artisans in the rural hinterlands, given that they

already have a proficient skill set.

Embroidery samples on display

Ashdeen’s Parsi Gara Embroidery detail

An engaged audience

(L to R) Asif Shaikh, Laila Tyabji, Ashdeen Z Lilaowala and Preeti Sinha

LAILA TYABJICraft Revivalist, Founder of Dastkar, Padma Shri Recipient

The statistics are that around 10% of the craftspeople are leaving

the sector every 10 years. But it is interesting that there are two

places in India where young craftspeople are willing to continue.

One is in Kutch, where so many people have gone and worked and

have realized that there is a future, both social and economic. And

the other is Kashmir where there are few opportunities for the

young people and they are continuing in crafts.

ASHDEEN Z LILAOWALAAuthor, Textile Designer and Reviver of Parsi Gara Embroidery

Motivation can lead the generations to take forth the craft! In

my production house, all craftsmen are from the same village of

Bengal. It started with one man who went to his village and his

people realized that he was earning more than they were from

farming because they didn’t have any land left. Others slowly

followed and drew towards the hand embroidery sector forming a

new crafts settlement. However, sadly not all craftsmen can adjust

to the demanding city life, and retreat.

ASIF SHAIKHMaster Embroiderer, Textile Curator based out of Ahmedabad

The crafts sector needs dedicated design schools and a structured

curriculum to advance the knowledge of artisans to meet the

demands of the contemporary national and international market

besides a dedicated focus towards business development and

marketing training. Quality and innovation give huge leverage to

artisans, who are skill proficient and more conversant with the

techniques that shape the product. Credit sharing and recognition

are the best form of gratification for artisans who have over years

been attributed as skilled labour.

Detail of hand embroidery in Asif’s workshop

India’s cultural diversity is our greatest strength and a phenomenally untapped resource. Crafts are not only our heritage, they are our global comparative advantage.

Laila Tyabji chaired the moderation and set an urgent enquiry into the ‘idea of rootedness’ of the craft in the time of expedient adaptations in view of rampant technological availability and tough survival prospects.

‘Craft in India’, as a parallel label to ‘Make in India’ is highly suited to take India’s arts and crafts heritage to the world. It steers the debate away from the mass manufacturing model of economic growth and mono-culture, spawning ecologically friendly and people powered ‘Swaraj’.

Quality and originality are the key differentiators in the contemporary creative industries.

The movement towards artisan-designer collaborations and design led interventions are revitalizing the traditional ecosystem.

Artisans feel empowered when they perceive their role as ‘design enhancers’ and ‘entrepreneurs’. The nature of contribution of the artisans transforms radically when they feel respected and valued.

The artisans welfare is critical and can be achieved through fair wages and recognizing their right to a good quality of life. Instead of daily wages, the focus should be on their monthly salaries, incentives and quality engagements such as tending to their children’s education needs.

While communities practice several crafts forms for livelihood, it is imperative that the native community represents the craft technique and form at national and international forums to carry the legacy forward.

There is a need to draw the line between century old traditions and new age innovation in the interest of artisans. Technology can expand the existing parameters of aspirations and innovation while holding on to the original essence of the craft, retaining ideas and techniques that characterize it.

Given that the artisans and communities are the custodians of their indigenous craft, documentation training and efforts must be pushed at the ground level, conjunctly with private and government bodies.

Mapping out of craft – techniques, form, and motif, the processes of production, communities, traditional knowledge and functional gaps is imperative in preserving intangible and tangible heritage of the country.

Crafts mapping will highlight the need for appreciating and understanding the function, character and dynamics of unique indigenous economic and creative networks and their symbiotic relationships.

Discussion Highlights

THE POETICS OF KHADI: CUTTING ACROSS TIME AND SPACEOCTOBER 2016

Ritu Beri, Fashion Designer and Advisor, Khadi and Village Industries

Commission (KVIC), Geeta Goradia, Chairperson, Jewel Industries,

Meenakshi Lekhi, MP, Lok Sabha, Shelly Jyoti, Textile/visual artist, Varsha

Das, Renowned Gandhian thinker, art critic & litterateur in conversation with

Poonam Goel, Journalist

The panel discussion The Poetics of Khadi: Cutting across Time and Space

was devoted to the idea of ‘swadharma towards the country’ and philosophy

of ‘Gandhi’s khadi’ traversing human lives and humanity in 21st century.

The story of khadi still resonates more than 65 years after India gained

Independence from the perspective to create better and alternative societies.

In the 2015 fiscal year, the industry employed around 1.12 million Indians

capturing attention of the industry stakeholders. The panel raised pertinent

questions to highlight the contemporary relevance of this historical fabric.

Audience at Bikaner House

(L to R) Geeta Goradia, Meenakshi Lekhi, Ritu Beri, Shelly Jyoti, Varsha Das, Poonam Goel and Preeti Sinha

Photo Caption

MEENAKSHI LEKHIMember of Parliament

Khadi is being transformed into a fashion fabric through efforts of KVIC and Vichar

Vastra, a versatile collection of Khadi designed by Ritu Beri. Khadi is no longer

fabric of the politicians and rural India, but a fabric of the urban youth. One needs

to sell the idea of participating in the Khadi movement as the idea of nation

building to change the perception. We need to support the Khadi village industry.

It should be about my country, my values. We must believe in executing swadharma.

Khadi is an intellectual fabric with huge romance behind it to create a sense of

self dependence and revolution for a free nation. Khadi was a critical thought

of Bapu as he envisioned a great nation. It became a social equalizer. The key to

Khadi becoming a successful tool for the freedom struggle lies in its uniqueness.

It became a material which people from diverse backgrounds could relate to.

RITU BERIFashion Designer and Advisor, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

Meenakshi Lekhi (centre) addressing the audience

GEETA GORADIAGrand niece of Maganlal Gandhi, Nephew of Mahatma Gandhi and Chairperson of Jewel Industries

Khadi is a green fabric, a fabric that is carbon free, doesn’t use fossil fuel, and

doesn’t emanate toxic fuels. Today more and more people around the globe

understand repercussions of carbon footprint. While organic food is becoming

a rage, awareness of eco friendly fabric is to be generated. In the age of

globalization, the mantra is continuous innovation, and the textile scenario has

to adapt fast and fresh approach in order to appeal to the public. We must

also orchestrate efforts towards cooperative movement akin to Amul which have

been extremely successful catalyzing national pride. Khadi & Village Industries

Commission (KVIC) must also focus on bringing a cooperative revolution.

Geeta Goradia (left) sharing her views with the audience

VARSHA DASRenowned Gandhian thinker, art critic & litterateur

Khadi is the only enterprise that integrates three sectors together namely service,

agriculture and manufacturing, which are the backbone of the Indian economy.

SHELLY JYOTIVisual Artist and Fashion Designer

My tryst with Khadi is a call to action that challenges people who live in urban

cities to grant dignity to the rural brethren and to rethink our engagement with the

spinners, weavers and people who work with handicrafts in the villages.

Varsha Das

Celebrated as the fabric of nation during world’s largest democracy’s freedom struggle

more than six decades back, a new movement reverberating passion and gusto is

bringing back vibrancy in the way Khadi is produced and consumed today.

The 5000 year old process of hand weaving embodied the national integrity of all as

well as acted as a marker for communal harmony and spiritual humility.

PM Modi recently spelt the mantra of “khadi for nation and khadi for fashion” officially

reclaiming a new function for the national fabric.

Khadi comes under MSME enterprises, and there has been a thrust to develop it rapidly

for holistic economic development. KVIC, an apex organization under MSMEs has

recently launched Vichar Vastra, a versatile collection in Khadi made by ace designer

Ritu Beri, who is also an advisor to KVIC.

One of the prime reasons for the growth Khadi is its suitability to the present Indian

conditions. Khadi and Village Industries, as a matter of fact, require little or no capital

to set up, thereby making them an economically viable option for the rural poor. MSME

sector has emerged as a highly vibrant and dynamic sector of the Indian economy over

the last five decades. In the wake of industrialisation, and the mechanisation of almost

all processes, Khadi and Village industries are suited like no other to a labour surplus

country like India, owing to the labour intensive process involved.

While clearly the focus is on the segment’s potential as a job provider in rural India, the

stakeholders in the Khadi sector have to brave the challenge of delivering designs and

products that are wearable across wide age groups, genders considering that the fabric

is inherently high maintenance and expensive.

Khadi has an enduring romantic association with artisanal knowledge and handmaking

traditions that appeal to contemporary fashion designers. Many of them incorporate

the fabric into their collections.

While the struggle is to maintain a balance between tradition and modernity, it also

disseminates much needed lesson to the present generation to channelize technology,

resources to create opportunities and empower communities.

If Khadi revolution can be stirred by developing frontend to backend linkages, it

would mean creation of an inclusive society, raising standards of living and achieving

equitable livelihood for communities in different geographies.

Discussion Highlights

LIVING THROUGH THE CRAFTS: THE TRAVEL LENSOCTOBER 2016

Shilpa Sharma, Breakaway Craft Tours, Debashish Nayak, Centre For

Heritage Management, Shama Pawar, The Kishkinda Trust In Conversation

with Ritu Sethi, Craft Revival Trust

The symposium ‘Living through the Crafts: The Travel Lens’ focused on the

new paradigm of bespoke and engaged travel, through the lens of cultural

heritage, craft, community engagement and arts. The key speakers debated

on how livelihoods have been impacted through sustainable development in

the tourism sector. As a 3rd dialogue within the YES Global Institute’s ‘Craft

in India’ series, the dialogue promoted cross-sector interactions aligning

capacity-building plans, specific training needs, marketing strategies and

infrastructure challenges.

(L to R) Shilpa Sharma, Debashish Nayak, Shama Pawar, and Ritu Sethi

An engaged audience

Sayantani Raychaudhuri, Banglanatak sharing her views

YES Global Institute Glocal Convenor Preeti Sinha

RITU SETHIChairperson, Crafts Revival Trust

While we speak of the travel lens in the context of craft, we speak not only of

tourists from other countries but of our own fellow travelers. While the onground

statistics are hard to come by, it is not difficult to ascertain the trend by the

number of flights, trains, cars on the move. It leads us to extrapolate that never

before have so many people travelled so widely across the country. A growing

number of travelers seek to engage with experiential crafts and traditions India

has to offer. Like everything else in India, it is a new idea and it is an old idea!

Photo CaptionSHILPA SHARMAFounder, Breakaway and Jaypore.com

How many times would have gone to a small mofussil town, Kotapur in Orissa and

seen a weaver weave a whole story which narrates their tribal lineage. Or how many

times one would have travelled to the small town of Santiniketan in West Bengal to

see women recycle old sarees into kitsch textiles. It is not something which is on a

regular tourist map and that is the offering of Breakaway, a Craft Tours brand.

Shama Pawar giving an insight into heritage tourism

DEBASHISH NAYAKDirector of Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad

According to present banking policy, if a building is more than 15 years old, one

cannot apply for a loan. In India, heritage buildings are generally more than 100

years old. It demands a change in the policy at the Central level. Cities now need

to find innovative solutions that can help address these critical issues. These issues

are even more critical in the heritage and historic cities of India because many

are losing their traditional neighborhood and housing structures due to lack of

understanding and opportunities for revitalization.

SHAMA PAWARFounder, The Kishkinda Trust

Tourism requires infrastructure which was not in place 22 years

back. Informal accommodation was provided in my house to

dancers, conservation architects who engaged with the community.

Dance and Theatre company, Chandrakalabhumi was formed later

and has been very active all these years. Though Hampi is such

an outstanding place and Anegundi is in the middle of the world

heritage site, no one thought it would ever garner attention!

Craft led tourism bridges the gap between what one has and what one can experience

assimilated through the quantum of work that goes behind the beautiful handicraft

and handlooms. Travel in this case is about interaction with the locals and bridging

language barriers. Capacity building in the different geographies of India has stimulated

reverse migration and empowered communities to take forward their legacies.

Creative industries have the potential to absorb the communities in an economically

productive manner, bringing quality of life to the village. One should not make the

mistake of calling crafts ‘an unorganized sector’. The creative managers who can

manage the economics of the sector can be trained within the community itself. With

realization of the economic prospect, the stress about losing the craft will be amicably

handled.

The goal for a successful heritage tourism model is engagement with the local

community. Ultimately tourism should enhance people’s quality of life. It should lead to

self-respect and pride through various programs of interpretation of the local history

and it should sustain art forms expressed cultural practice.

The power of collaboration is immense and there are efforts being made to make the

sector more structured and at the same time raising empathy towards the players and

pegging right value that they deserve. The challenge of fair wage system, migration

still prevails besides continuity of the tradition itself as the generations prefer

abandoning the gift. However, it is encouraging to see fashion merge lines with crafts

in the contemporary times in fashion collections. Bridging the gap between artisan and

end consumer is the final objective.

Tourism for heritage and craft has many benefits for the communities including the

provision of new employment opportunities, improved incomes, curbing of rural

migration and nurturing a sense of pride amongst communities that incentivizes

preservation and continuity of heritage. But there is also a fear of what the limits of

acceptable change of traditional lifestyles versus tourism are. Our engagements should

be in orchestrated in such a manner that we do not end up slaying the golden goose.

Discussion Highlights

Media

An upcoming symposium on embroidery is being organized by YES Institute‘Reinventing Traditional Embroidery’

10/24/2016

Ritu Beri revisits khadi with her new collection called Vichar Vastra ­ The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/ritu­beri­revisits­khadi­with­her­new­collection­called­vichar­vastra/article9256555.ece?css=print

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FEATURES » METROPLUS

Published: October 24, 2016 14:38 IST | Updated: October 24, 2016 14:38 IST October 24, 2016

An idea whose time has come

Madhur Tankha

A FRESH LOOK Ritu Beri

Ritu Beri revisits khadi with her new collection called Vichar Vastra

Twenty five years ago, Ritu Beri chose khadi as a fabric to launch her brand. It was a fabric she was comfortable with as she had seen it right

from her forefathers to cousins wearing them. She could easily express her creativity. But there was one more reason for using the fabric,

espoused by Mahatma Gandhi, by the then fledgling designer.

“At that point of time the fact that khadi was a green fabric, environment­friendly, is natural and has a unique appeal as every yarn is different

were not the factors playing on my mind. I simply could not afford an expensive fabric. So I used khadi because it w

as affordable. The first

two collections were in khadi. Now when I lo

ok back I realise that I have always been in love with this fabric. Khadi makes the person stand

out. If a bride wears a khadi she immediately gets noticed but now we see the same monotonous look during weddings,” says Ritu, while

recounting her experience of using the versatile fabric at The Poetics of Khadi: Cutting across Time and Space, a panel discussion, at Bikaner

House.

Noting that khadi evokes patriotic fervour, Ritu feels there is a romantic side to it as well. “The fabric played an important role during the

Independence Movement. My great grandfather was a big believer in the significance of khadi in nation building. I r

emember an unbreakable

rule existed in our house that everybody should wear khadi.”

With Diwali festivity round the corner, Ritu has now created a collection of W

estern and Indian ensembles. She has named it Vichar Vastra.

“Basically I have created a collection around khadi. I thought that Diwali w

ould be an ideal time for people to go khadi and promote it a

mong

their friends and families. We are trying to promote it among the youth of In

dia. For me, it is the most luxurious, special, hand spun,

handwoven fabric and it has zero carbon imprint. Also, as a designer, it i

s a fantastic fabric to work with,” says Ritu.

Explaining the reason for returning to khadi in a big way, Ritu, now advisor to the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, says when she

was goaded by Meenakshi Lekhi, BJP leader, she decided to give it an impetus and make it relevant for every age group.

“When I saw the amazing collection of maroons, orange, pink, red, indigo, white, my perennial favourite, there was no stopping me. Khadi is

such a versatile proposition. It is creative social equaliser and is as much apt for politic

ians as for students and artists. When I take up

something, I go completely into it b

ut I wondered how I could make the idea appealing for college goers. Then I lis

tened to the Prime

Minister’s speech when he quoted Mahatma Gandhi saying that khadi was not a vastra (dress) but a vichar (thinking). So I played with words

and coined my collection Vichar Vastra.”

Ritu has experimented with different wearable forms of khadi ranging from beachwear to pants. The designer will be unveiling the new

collection of ghagras, shirts, kurtas and jackets at her Sainik Farm store this Monday.

10/26/2016

Evolution of Bapu’s Khadi | Millennium Post

http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=330174

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Evolution of Bapu’s Khadi

25 October 2016, New Delhi, Team MP

Fashion has always been an ever changing phenomenon

as designers have tried to enhance beautiful outfits form

various materials. And this time Khadi has come to the

centre stage of fashion. YES Institute organised a seminal

panel discussion under its ‘Craft in India’ series, ‘The

Poetics of Khadi: Cutting across Time and Space’ recently

at Bikaner House, New Delhi. The discussion was devoted

to the idea of “Swadharma towards the country” and

philosophy of ‘Gandhi’s khadi’ traversing human lives and

humanity in the 21st century. The story of Khadi still resonates from the perspective to

create better and alternative societies. Lok Sabha MP,

Meenakshi Lekhi, fashion designer Ritu Beri, granddaughter of Mahatama Gandhi, Geeta Goradia, Textile/Visual artist

Shelly Jyoti and renowned Gandhian thinker Varsha Das attended the event as panelists.

Geeta Goradia, grand niece of Maganlal Gandhi, nephew of Mahatma Gandhi shared her experience of living with

Khadi as the mainstay fabric of the Gandhi family, resonating with the low carbon footprint values. She stressed that

continuous innovation is need of the time and suggested that KVIC should replicate Amul cooperative movement in

the Khadi sector.Meenakshi Lekhi, spoke about Khadi being transformed into a fashion fabric through efforts of KVIC and Ritu Beri’s

‘Vichar Vastra’. She discussed about the need to bring a change in the value system of the society so that Khadi is no

longer fabric of the politicians and rural India, but a fabric of the urban youth. Inspired from Gandhi’s thought she

said, “Khadi vastra nahi vichar hai”. She also said, “One needs to sell the idea of participating in the Khadi movement

as the idea of nation building to change the perception. We need to support the Khadi village industry. It should be

about my country, my values. We must believe in executing Swadharma”.

Ritu Beri illustrated the journey of her creations in Khadi, ‘Vichar Vastra’ available at affordable prices at Khadi Gram

Udyog, Connaught Place. “Khadi is an intellectual fabric, the thought of Bapu as he envisioned a great nation. Khadi

is a social equalizer. When the crushed look of linen can be promoted so can the crushed look of Khadi. I believe that

India is the connoisseur of luxury but sadly has no mention in the global market. I have set up Luxury League to

promote the idea of Indian connoisseurship and India’s heritage.”

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10/26/2016The First Mail | Khadi: From Symbol Of India's Freedom To Fashion Statement

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26 Oct, 2016 10:55:37 IST

You are here : Home » Entertainment

Posted On : 25 Oct, 2016 Source : PTI Place : New Delhi

Khadi: From symbol of India's freedom to fashion statementTo help promote local artisans and weavers across the country, an exhibition here

seeks to encourage larger use of Khadi ­ a fabric that has transformed from being a

symbol of India's freedom struggle to become a style statement.Titled 'The Khadi March: Just Five Meters', the solo show by Shelly Jyoti at IndiaHabitat Centre here underlines the importance of 'khadi' portraying the fabric as a

mark of self­purification, self­reliance and independence."The show is a call to action that challenges people who live in urban cities to grant

dignity to the rural brethren and to rethink our engagement with the spinners,weavers and people who work with handicrafts in the villages."It is designed to be a study for those who want to understand what the khadi

movement stands for, and what it has been able to do," says Jyoti.

According to the artist, following Mahatma Gandhi's proposition of buying 'five yards of khadi' each, India's urban population can transform the

lives of rural artisans and enrich their livelihoods."Five meters of cloth is an individual's necessity to cover themselves. So, I wanted to explore the 300 million urban population for whom buying

just 5 meters of khadi is not a big thing but their efforts can change the life of millions in the rural areas," she says.One of the installations titled, 'The Yarn Wheel' has been made up of 1000 handspun cotton yarns to capture the meditative process of spinning

the wheel in stark contrast to machine made thread.Jyoti has worked extensively with Ajrakh artisans from Kutch and with kantha embroiderers from West Bengal for the show that features several

khadi installations, 20 Ajrakh textile artworks, a multi­media spoken poetry art and a documentary on Ajrakh textile process.

"While working with those who have inherited these textile traditions and are passing them on to the next generations, I have been able to see

through the critical relationship between an artisan as a creator and an artist as a visualizer," she says. Using khadi as the ground for processes of traditional dyeing and embroidery, Jyoti's images employ symbolic forms with decorated surfaces to

highlight aspects of India's long and complex history."Khadi is such an eco­friendly, comfortable and vibrant fabric. It can become a fabric from our freedom struggle to a fashion statement in the

present world," she says.

Utilising printing blocks that are two to three hundred years old, Jyoti says her individual pieces draw attention to a shared history whose

preservation is currently threatened by the forces of globalization.Traditional Bengali artform of Kantha Stitch also finds place is some of her creations. She explores the creative space of women in Bengal who

have migrated to Northern India in the past decade."I engage these women to give them small jobs and explore their inherent talent. Running stitches also have a decorative and aesthetic appeal,"

she says.

The artist was also part of a recent event organised by Yes Institute at Bikaner House here.Titled 'Poetics of Khadi: Cutting across Time and space', the discussion focused on the "idea of khadi as a visual expression of national identity."

"I am trying to explore the role of clothing in a movement of social change, while exploring khadi as a commodity in 21st century to give spinners

and weavers a more organized source of livelihood."The idea of consumption of hand­woven handspun cloth by urban people is to establish connect between urban and rural brethren," she says.

Another site specific installation, 'Just Five Yards' made up of 9 khadi hand bags, is inspired from Gandhi's khadi bulletin published in 1931, that

propagated the ideal of swadharma."The idea was that rather than giving one's money to the British industry, one should contribute to the livelihood of local villagers and thus

become 'a moral consumer' building a national community," she says.The exhibition is on view till October 26.

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10/26/2016

Khadi: From symbol of India’s freedom to fashion statement | fashion and trends | Hindustan Times

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Khadi: From symbol of India’s freedom to fashion statement

PTI, New Delhi | Updated: Oct 25, 2016 20:18 IST

Titled The Khadi March: Just Five Meters, the solo show by Shelly Jyoti at India Habitat Centre in Delhi underlines the importance of khadi portraying the fabric as a

mark of self­purification, self­reliance and independence. (Shutterstock)

To help promote local artisans and weavers across the country, an exhibition here seeks to encourage larger use of Khadi ­ a fabric that has

transformed from being a symbol of India’s freedom struggle to become a style statement.

Titled The Khadi March: Just Five Meters, the solo show by Shelly Jyoti at India Habitat Centre in Delhi underlines the importance of khadi

portraying the fabric as a mark of self­purification, self­reliance and independence.

“The show is a call to action that challenges people who live in urban cities to grant dignity to the rural brethren and to rethink our engagement

with the spinners, weavers and people who work with handicrafts in the villages.

“It is designed to be a study for those who want to understand what the khadi movement stands for, and what it has been able to do,” says Jyoti.

According to the artist, following Mahatma Gandhi’s proposition of buying ‘five yards of khadi’ each, India’s urban population can transform the

lives of rural artisans and enrich their livelihoods.

“Five meters of cloth is an individual’s necessity to cover themselves. So, I wanted to explore the 300 million urban population for whom buying

just 5 meters of khadi is not a big thing but their efforts can change the life of millions in the rural areas,” she says.

One of the installations titled, ‘The Yarn Wheel’ has been made up of 1000 handspun cotton yarns to capture the meditative process of spinning

the wheel in stark contrast to machine made thread.

Jyoti has worked extensively with Ajrakh artisans from Kutch and with kantha embroiderers from West Bengal for the show that features several

khadi installations, 20 Ajrakh textile artworks, a multi­media spoken poetry art and a documentary on Ajrakh textile process.

“While working with those who have inherited these textile traditions and are passing them on to the next generations, I have been able to see

through the critical relationship between an artisan as a creator and an artist as a visualizer,” she says.

Using khadi as the ground for processes of traditional dyeing and embroidery, Jyoti’s images employ symbolic forms with decorated surfaces to

highlight aspects of India’s long and complex history. “Khadi is such an eco­friendly, comfortable and vibrant fabric. It can become a fabric from

our freedom struggle to a fashion statement in the present world,” she says.

Utilising printing blocks that are two to three hundred years old, Jyoti says her individual pieces draw attention to a shared history whose

preservation is currently threatened by the forces of globalization.

Traditional Bengali artform of Kantha Stitch also finds place is some of her creations. She explores the creative space of women in Bengal who

have migrated to Northern India in the past decade.

“I engage these women to give them small jobs and explore their inherent talent. Running stitches also have a decorative and aesthetic appeal,”

she says.

The artist was also part of a recent event organised by Yes Institute at Bikaner House here. Titled ‘Poetics of Khadi: Cutting across Time and

space’, the discussion focused on the “idea of khadi as a visual expression of national identity.”

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