Want a Rothko and Raza-inspired carpet? Visit this Mumbai show ‘Kachchh Born Again’

While tie-and-dye artists interpreted abstract artists like Mark Rothko and S. H. Raza, Namda weavers reconstructed felt to make tapestries, natural shades, and even tea.

The series of lithographs by Khaled Amin Khatri in the Agrakh. (Courtesy: 47-A)

Among them is Ramesh Mrwada of Korran, a small village in Bhuj, the last Indian settlement before Pakistan began. Khurd rugs in Marwadah feature metaphors of tree trunks, settlement formations, animals, and nature themes in black, white, red, and other primary colors. In the lines, knots, labyrinths and planes of his work, he departed from the traditional designs and patterns his family had created for generations.

Khrad, which means carpet in Sindhi, is an ancient weaving technique using sheep, camel and goat hair, practiced by the nomadic communities of Katch. They supplied the royal families of Ketch and Sindh before independence. However, these days, the vehicle has only a few recipients.

These craft practices are an extension of Sanchari, a project by Reddy, who quit his job at the company and moved to Kachchh in 2012. Since then, he’s been facilitating platforms that enable broader interactions between artisans and designers. Last year, he met Srila Chatterjee from Paro Market during her trip to the area. The show is the result of that meeting. “With Sanchari, we have pushed artisans to think beyond and re-imagine their craft with the design or concept at its centre,” says Reddy.

On display are shibori bandani pieces by Jabbar and Abdullah Khatri, who have revived the ancient art of binding and dyeing. However, here they take Raza’s bindu and give it a contemporary edge while their Rothko-inspired pieces, done through intricate clip-on dye techniques, allow fields of color to juxtapose, just like a painting.

Artisans on show with Satish Reddy. (Courtesy: 47-A)

Then there’s embroidery by Miya and Zuma Kasam Adam Sangar, whose work has made it into the collection of the V&A museum in London, and even traveled all the way to Hollywood—their embroidery was on the bodice worn by Emma Watson in Beauty and the Beast (2017). Their work, in this show, is a celebration of floral and botanical motifs.

But the piece that surprised many was a red and gray ghoul by Karim Mansouri, using wool felting, a technique that uses moisture and agitation to eliminate the sheen and compress the wool into a fabric. However, this journey from loom to weaving meant a transformation for Al-Mansoori. He left the craft for carpentry. “It is true that there is no innovation with namda. Even Karim was bored. If he gets an expensive job, it will only last two or three months and he will have to go back to carpentry in order to earn a stable livelihood,” says Reddy.

“There is a big difference between what we are creating and what is on display now,” Al-Mansoori says at the opening of the exhibition earlier this month. It’s not just about the design, but the overall usability and feel of the work as well. Earlier, we were making thicker textiles, which were used as rugs for puja paths (prayer rugs) or on horses to cushion riders. Now, we are learning new designs and getting better wages for our work, says Al Mansoori, “It would mean a lot if people put our work as art installations in their homes, it will give us more opportunities and a better livelihood.”

The ultimate goal, Reddy says, is to get architects and designers to collaborate with craftsmen. “These ancient crafts have huge potential in corporate offices and residential spaces,” he says. One couldn’t agree more as we see opportunities in Nemda-inspired tiles, bandhani weaving as ceiling decor, and brass partitions in lobbies and living rooms.