Intricate textiles tell a tale of roots
THE Phansi Museum kicks off the year with an intimate pop-up exhibition of a selection of handmade embroidered and beaded textiles from Northern India.
Titled “Other Roots”, this private collection, on loan to the Phansi Museum, is about roots, who you are and where you come from. If you are South African you may have Zulu, Nguni, Sotho or Pondo roots, or your roots may reach as far back as to Holland or England, or a mixture of those roots.
Phansi Museum illustrates that art has its roots in the world of the bantu, the ancient and the transitional. This exhibition will allow visitors the opportunity to look at other roots: snippets of the magnificent textiles of northern India, like Gujurat, Kush and Ladakh, and of Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand.
Phansi has created this rare opportunity to view these selected pieces so viewers can carefully examine and scrutinise the magical make-up of the works on display.
Textiles have a long and distinguished history in the Indian sub-continent. The technique of mordant dyeing, which gives intense colours, has been used by Indian textile workers since the second century BC. India has always been seen as the country of symbolic colours, which are viewed as a large part of the Indian consciousness.
In South Africa, traditional artisans are mainly rural based and often belong to low socioeconomic sectors of society. Their skills are learnt as youngsters or passed on by family members outside the mainstream educational system. The natural dyes used to colour come from mud, plants, charcoal, bark and a variety of roots. In South African beadwork these colours also denote feelings, beliefs, desires and power.
Indian textile traditions are reputed all over the world and admired for their beauty, texture and durability. The fabrics on display depict the extraordinary dexterity, and illustrate the intricacy and beauty of Indian textiles.
We would like to invite the public to view and carefully examine the intricate make-up of the works on display. The exhibition will be on display until February 18.
The exhibition is open daily from 9am4pm, Saturdays from 10am-2pm.
Contact the director, Sharon Crampton, for more details: admin@ phansi.com or at 031 206 2889.