From the mundane to the myth, India’s identity is deeply intertwined with its textiles. They have nurtured craftsmanship, built communities, played a role in national revolutions, and paved the way to create world trade networks. Despite this extensive history spanning centuries, textiles have garnered few enthusiasts as a medium within the arts. However, this narrative is slowly changing as textile-based shows resurface with renewed vigor.
At the ongoing Delhi Contemporary Art Week (DCAW), the showcase “Threads That Bare” is a testament to the potential of textile art. The exhibition illuminates how artists can draw inspiration from India’s diverse textile traditions to create storytelling masterpieces. This event comes at an opportune moment when curators and galleries in the subcontinent are embracing more textile-based exhibitions. From “Vayan – The Art of Indian Brocades” curated by Mayank Mansingh Kaul at Delhi’s National Crafts Museum (2023), to the upcoming “Sutr Santati” at NGMA in Mumbai (2024), and “Entwined – Edition 2” by Apparao Galleries, the landscape is rich with textile art.
One of the captivating artists in this domain is Natasha Das. Initially trained in oils, Das transitioned to textiles after confronting limitations with traditional paint. Working intimately with thread, fabric, and the weaving communities of Assam, she found a new avenue to express vulnerability through her art. “I shifted to memories and touch,” Das remarked. “When the pandemic hit, I closed my studio and began working with thread, layering it like oil. Textiles gave me a platform to feel, bond, and be present. My choice to use eri and muga silk in my works stemmed from this experience.”
In her piece “Lahe Land 2” (lahe lahe means ‘slowly’ in Assamese), displayed at DCAW, she pays homage to the culture and landscape of Assam. “It is a visual map constructed from memory. I began by stitching and attaching, creating blocks of color that are dense, with playful threads that connect these spaces,” she explains. “The beautiful violet represents the water hyacinth of Assam; the onion green eri silk is earthy. Each thread carries a memory and has a tale to tell.”
“Threads That Bare” also features works by artists such as Geeta Khandelwal and Khadim Ali. Khandelwal has spent decades studying and practicing quilt-making. On display are her meticulously recreated miniature royal garments from the 18th and 19th centuries, employing techniques like hand sewing and quilting. Meanwhile, Khadim Ali draws from miniature and tapestry traditions, his works reflecting the trauma and loss experienced by his family due to the conflict zones of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
. His monumental mixed-media work, “I’m the Third Script 2”, employs embroidery on cotton and silk, intricately weaving his childhood memories onto the fabric.
According to Sharan Apparao, Curator-Director of Apparao Galleries, “While the market may seem small currently, I believe it’s on the cusp of expansion with the backing of gallerists and collectors who genuinely appreciate and engage with textile art.”
Textile artists can draw inspiration from various sources, whether it is the concept, experience, or the material itself. Rajarshi Sengupta, an art historian and practitioner, highlights this adaptability. His textile works, inspired by the kalamkari tradition, were part of the “Entwined” exhibition last month. “My practice also recognizes coexistence as a key theme that connects questions of visual and sensory elements, shared histories, and future directions,” he said.
Sengupta’s exploration began with master carvers Kondra Gangadhar and Kondra Narsaiah in Andhra Pradesh’s Machilipatnam region. His work, “Catalogue Konda”, extends this inquiry to the dyeing practices of coastal communities of the Coromandel, critical to the application of colors on textiles.
The surge in textile-based exhibitions begs the question of why this sudden interest. Delhi-based curator Kaul notes, “This is a reflection of a global trend. Contemporary visual arts periodically draw from varied creative sources. We’ve seen this with architecture, film, and now textiles. While this fascination is welcome, those who have long worked with textiles hope it translates into sustained commercial viability for the galleries and a better market for fiber-based artists.”
Textiles are also being reexamined from a gendered perspective. The material, style, and processes traditionally categorized as ‘woman’s craft’ have long been absent from the accepted definition of fine arts. Today, primarily women artists are challenging this divide by asserting their agency.
Artist Varunika Saraf, with her work “The Longest Revolution”, showcased embroidery on cotton textile to convey themes of women’s agency and socio-political change. “I am interested in women’s agency, women as makers of their own futures and agents of socio-political change,” she says. “When I thought about the hopes, beliefs, and fears that I share with the women in my life, embroidery felt like the natural medium.”
Kaul adds, “Globally, curators suggest that the current fixation with textile-based art stems from a heightened focus on women-based art practices. There is a greater interest in materiality and abstraction than ever before, likely due to the long neglect of this field by the art world.”
The seventh edition of DCAW continues to captivate audiences at Bikaner House until September 4. As textile arts gradually secure their rightful place within the broader spectrum of visual arts, it appears the threads are weaving a promising future.
