A-Level Essay

Art Essay Draft 1
Indian Culture

Delving into the depths of the culture renowned for colour, I found myself enraptured by the sumptuous hues, intricate and lively patterns and the extreme level of craftsmanship of traditional Indian textiles. I saw endless potential for a textile orientated project, especially with the eye of an aspiring fashion designer. In my work, I adore the techniques of embroidery and silk painting and knew this project would be a way to challenge myself and advance my own craftsmanship skills to a higher level. I intend to research the Indian culture, it’s traditions and it’s textile ancestry to a more profound level and extend my view on my chosen theme by investigating artists who are inspired by their own roots or heritage and this influence is clearly represented in their work.

While exploring the history of traditional Indian textiles, I was greeted with endless fascinating examples of block printing, weaving and embroidery across the ages, awakening me to the exceptionally diverse array of fabrics that have been produced throughout India’s history. I noticed most of the fabrics boasted a verdant utopia of plants and exotic creatures, overwhelming me with inspiration for by observational studies. Intrigued by the initial glimpse at Indian textile ancestry, I chose to broaden my knowledge; learning that India has long relied on the economic benefits of exporting it’s celebrated fabrics to a global market, dating as far back as the third century. I briefly studied the devastating effects of European industrialisation upon the Indian fabric trade, when British mills began producing batches of imitation Indian cloth. However, this huge wound to the country’s fabric industry later provoked a resistance movement that saw textiles take centre-stage in the development of Indian nationhood and identity. Handmade fabrics went on to become a key symbol of India’s opposition to British rule, with Mahatma Gandhi calling for Indian natives to spin, weave and embroider their own clothes, known as Khadi. Various examples of Khadi’s use in modern Indian design demonstrate the textile’s enduring symbolism to this day. Today, the Khadi is romanticised for its historic past; it is extremely difficult to produce but it’s still being made. There is an ongoing relevance of hand skills in Indian fashion and there is a constant process of adaption and innovation which keeps us aware that India’s textile tradition is still a work in progress. Despite heavy influence from the Western world, many designers work with artisans/craftsmen, or karigars, as they are traditionally known, to revive the beautiful patterns and styles of traditional Indian garments. For instance, the Indian designer, Rajesh Pratap Singh designed a particular skull-adorned women’s jacket which sees the employment of digital methods to recreate the process of block printing to a stunning effect. A few examples of other designers that are keeping the Indian textile tradition alive are Faraz Manan, Naeem Khan and Manish Malhotra, three of my favourite designers. These artists are successfully creating modern interpretations of the traditional sari and lehenga.

Following my exploration of this exquisite culture, I was left with a desire to investigate further artists whose work and designs are influenced by their heritage or their roots. I took a particular interest in the work of a young Indian artist named Kavita Gandhi. I was initially intrigued by her work but it was the context and significance behind her work that made me select her designs for further studying as part of my essay. On the blog for Kavita’s brand ‘KavitaKriti’, I was charmed by her introduction to her work, she stated “Through KavitaKriti my hope is to create awe-inspiring silk scarves with an honest reflection of my Indian roots. Growing up I was surrounded by Indian textiles and embroideries and always marvelled at the craftsmanship of what I saw. KavitaKriti is an avenue for me to pay homage to these wonderful art forms and represent them to you in my own way.”

After contacting Kavita via email, I sent a list of questions to which I got a great response. To begin with I asked about Kavita’s background and religion and I learned that she is originally from India but currently lives in Canada, and is Hindu by religion. The artist told me she has always been drawn to the vibrance of Indian textiles, especially since she left her homeland. Kavita also explained that she wears traditional Indian saris and lehengas during Indian festivals and weddings, but has adapted her daily style to the western world. I then asked Kavita where she gets her patterns from and how does she choose which fabric to work with, to which she responded explaining she is inspired by patterns from online research and old Indian books. She also explained that there are various art and textile forms that lend to Indian design such as henna, redwork embroidery and zentagle, and the artist also told how she often refers back to ancient Indian garments to be inspired by the intricate designs on them. In regards to fabric, the designer told me how she loves to work with silk, in particular chiffon silk or silk crepe de chine because of their delicate and flowing qualities, allowing them to drape beautifully – which is perfect for her style of work. The artist also enjoys dabbling with block printing on soft cotton voile because she loves the “chabby chic” look created by solid colours against untainted cotton. Kavita Gandhi also suggested using ‘rangoli’ or ‘madala’ patterns in my designs and also using embellishment with beads and sequins to exaggerate the Indian essence I am trying to achieve in my work. The designer also informed me about ‘paper quilling’ which is a very popular craft in India. For inspiration, she guided me towards warli and gujarati embroidery and also the paintings of the regions of India which each possess a unique style of painting and embroidery.

I chose several shalls and scarves of the KavitaKriti collection to analyse. I immediately noticed how the colour of the fabric was never controlled, the artist allowed the colours to dance on the fabric, creating stunning visuals amongst themselves. I liked the free nature of the combination of the playful, vibrant and striking colours on soft, flowing fabric. The pieces all captured the essence of the Indian culture through unique patterns that were hand-painted onto the fabric, or block printed using bold inks. Kavita explained to me that she uses silk paints and silk dyes and they have a sort of movement which exaggerates the nature of her work, explaining further that in some of her scarves she uses the ‘gutta serti’ technique to control the dyes and a mosaic-type effect. Kavita also uses soy wax in the same manner alternatively you can thicken the dyes so they do not spread when applied to the fabric – although this method does not apply to silk paint. Another way is to pre-treat the fabric so it acts like paper. Learning about these ancient Asian techniques has inspired me for my own work as I could add them to my existing knowledge of dying and painting silk.  The patterns include traditional Indian symbols, which date back thousands of years in the country’s textile culture, such as the elephant, the paisley pattern and the lotus flower. This is the main way in which Kavita “pays homage” to her Indian roots, leaving her work boasting with symbolism and representative colours. Even from a glance, Kavita Gandhi’s work is rich in culture, leaving the viewer enchanted by the Indian customs. The colours are eye-catching, but once the piece had captured your attention you are opened up to a world of heritage through touches of ancient symbolism and carefully chosen colours to portray the meaning behind the piece.