A contemporary blend of textile craft and visual arts
In this two-day exhibition, on view till 29 October at Bikaner House Delhi, one can find a rich display of textile and art. Titled Sarita Handa 25 years & Beyond, this show intends to celebrate the silver jubilee of the home furnishing brand Sarita Handa.
The reputed brand is famous for its diverse and authentic quality of textiles and designs. Over the years the range of lifestyle products, offered by the company has garnered much admiration from the patrons.
In the show which celebrates the past and looks forward to new beginnings, the visitors will get to witness the innovation in designs, textiles and art. Sarita Handa, founder of the eponymous brand and the curator of the show, speaks with Guardian 20 on the future plans of the company. “The way forward is to take the brand global. Since the inception of the company, we have revived and sustained heritage needlework and techniques that must be cherished and appreciated for the next 25 years as well. We aim to continue supporting craftsmanship. The idea is to take inspiration from the traditional to present something contemporary for the aware consumer,” says Handa.
According to Handa, the focus of the company now will still be to carry forward the sustainability factor for which the brand is also known for. She says, “The attention of the brand is always going to work on innovation in design and technique. With this exhibition we have taken the cause of sustainability forward and as a company that believes in CSR and upholding the environment, our endeavours are going to be more about conscious living.”
In the show, the viewers will get a sense of the brand’s collection of rare and vintage textiles which were picked over the years from India and abroad. The show also features interesting collaboration with six artists. Remarkable works by sculptor Satish Gupta, textile artists Gunjan Arora, Rahul Jain and Arrti Mansinghka, visual artist Tanuj Ahuja and textile and lifestyle-product designer Jeevan Xavier are a part of the show. These artists have completed their works with Sarita Handa fabrics in their individual style and vivid interpretation. The artworks will be shown through various mediums like video, weaving and canvas by the aforementioned artists.
Upcycling of fabrics is an important concept which runs through this textile show. Using the signature brand, the collaborations aims to take the sustainability drive forward by using fabrics from the company’s archives by providing them a new lease of life. There is a presence of dissimilar techniques such as patchwork, thread-work and so on in the art made by using fabrics.
In the artworks by Arrti Mansinghka, the viewers will find the line between fine art and textile art blending. Stand at a distance and see Mansinghka’s work— they appear like a painting. But as one moves closer the fabric in the work reveals itself. The artist puts several layers of waste fabrics in her piece. She creates light and shadows in her work by cutting and pasting the strips of various coloured cloth together. Mansinghka translates the magnificence of the river Ganga and its ethereal nature at the city of Varanasi with this unique textile art. A student of Graphic Design from Sophia College, Mumbai, Mansinghka says, “The series before that I did for Sarita Handa was about Sadhus and when me and Mrs Handa were discussing about how best to commemorate this milestone, the concept of Benaras was really befitting because it naturally followed the flow of the previous works. This series with three artworks— Shiva, Varanasi and Benaras follows the meandering course of the Ganga and the final artwork celebrates Dev Diwali in Varanasi. The artworks have been created using Sarita Handa scrap fabrics as this collaboration was about blending textile and art and also take the sustainability drive of the company forward.”
Special advisor to the show, Mayank Mansingh Kaul believes that the exhibition is a superior amalgamation of history with the present. He says, “The works showcased here are drawn from the brand’s collection of historical textiles in the one hand and on the other new creative projects developed through conversation with visual artists and designers. Together they reflect an interest in looking at textiles as an artistic form beyond the core activities of the company.”
Jeevan Xavier who has created a video work for the show says, “Along The Path of Needles, my artwork for this exhibition, is a way of expressing the gratitude towards this humble tool ( needle) that has made all this come alive. The video presentations are about needles piercing through fabrics translating and transforming into beautiful textiles and products that the organisation is known for. By capturing these minutest needles piercing through fabrics, joining of two textiles together, quilting layers after layers, we try and draw attention to the various transformations aspects.”
Well-known sculptor Satish Gupta has used the brand’s fabrics with his art. He says, “My works capture in essence the cultivation of zen
Jeevan Xavier who has created a video work for the show says, “Along The Path of Needles, my artwork for this exhibition, is a way of expressing the gratitude towards this humble tool (needle) that has made all this come alive
aesthetics. For this collaboration I have worked on four artworks, The Confluence of Birds, Shunya—The Open Zen Circle, The Way of the wandering Cloud, and Fire, Air, Water. The idea of using Sarita Handa fabrics was to take the sustainability drive forward and for me it was interesting to work with a completely new medium. The artworks are light and nebulous and they draw upon my constant engagement with the art of zen and mysticism to create dynamic installations which are inspired by Buddhism.
Artist Tanuj Ahuja has interpreted Indian Mythology in his unique and contemporary style. For this collaboration with Sarita Handa, Tanuj brings forth his understanding and bond with the brand in two artworks— Continuance and The Cow—A Giver.
He says, “I have always been fascinated with the cow as the nourished and giver and with this artwork, The Cow —The Giver too I pay homage to the sacred animal. It has been revered as the primary giver and I see this as a reflection of the very spirit of Sarita Handa. The use of Sarita Handa fabrics on the sculpture is meant to convey the journey of the brand and how it humbly nurtures the spirit of generating sustainable artisanship and craft based livelihood.”