Counting stitches in Jodhpur. Inside the ‘surface’ in Jodhpur

Jodhpur is a city of miracle, out of which Torji’s Jhalra is the most prestigious. Around this steplewell, where the water falls to hundreds of meters depth, comes into life in a city with walls – old heritage buildings rub shoulders with new cafes and boutiques, narrow streets packed with locals and cars There are who lead to Havelis. Attacking it, the Mehrangar Fort stands on top of a hill, its hall is in art, textiles and historical artifacts.

These treasures and the history of Jodhpur took the founder of Sutrakala Foundation, Shaun Randhawa and Curator Mayank Mansingh Kaul to the city, who is now the host surfaceAn exhibition presenting Indian embroidery and surface ornamentation as art. The exhibition stems from years of dialogue and research between Randhwa and Kaul. Says Randhawa, “I was fascinated that the ornamentation of the surface could be a medium of art,” he established Sutrakala in 2023 to enable research and innovation in Indian textiles, and the ‘surface’ is the first of non-profit ‘ Marks the exhibition.

The idea connects Kaur, which curated the show, was to go beyond the commercial aspect of the embroidery. “India is at a high point in terms of its use and innovation. On the one hand, we are making the most extraordinary embroidery for the world and exporting, and on the other hand, it, it, [the craft] Our bride and opportunities wearing, and house items defines a very important aspect of the market. surface Allows manufacturers [and us] To reflect manifestations of these. ,

A result of trips to historical embroidery centers, and cooperation with more than 30 artists, designers, artisans and organizations, surface Facilities close to 60 artifacts and establishments. Working with JDH, which is an urban uplift initiative in a city with walls, is spread over three heritage buildings – Achal Nives, Anoop Singh’s Haveli and Lakshmi Nives – Located around Stepwell. Curns are non-lectured, taking into account the flow of tourists in the neighborhood, which can go to sites independently, but also because, as Kaul says, each site has a visual language that is quite different.

Sumkshi Singh Surface

Beyond the definitions

The onset of immovable policy, artists and creators find out what the embroidery can be, if there are no surface ornaments. Parul b. Wascor Book of The Time Travelers of the World To create a impression of sound waves and energetic maps, the small embroidered dots corrects dots as a picture of paper. “We have worked with a German company to use a specific thread count and invented our own stitching to make micro dots,” she says. The installation attracts an artist from residence that Thacker sailed around the archipelago of Swalbard.

Parul b. Wascor Book of The Time Travelers of the World

Many performances traditionally detect techniques associated with clothing and home linen, which play with size, ratio and texture. In Fly upA series of silk panels designed by Ashdeen Lilaowala, the crane was intensely designed in Parsi Garage Fly embroidery. “Clothing with so many artists uses as a medium, it has become a bole -fid art form,” says Leelawala. “Craft can find ways to move forward, when it breaks.”

Ashdin leilaula Fly up

For many people, this means revaluation. Take textile designer Swati Kalsey, dominating the exhibition with nine installations drawn from two projects Sujini Embroidery and Chamba Handkerchief (Embroidered handkerchief). Depart from Sujini ‘Story embroidery, its installation to dig And Night air translate the Bharua Sewing in the abstract pattern, reminiscent of fireworks on a silhouette -like silhouette.

Swati Kalsi’s Chamba handkerchief project

Chamba Rumal Project, which Kalsey began as a collaboration with the Delhi Shilp Parishad, such as art reinforces traditional scenes such as arts Marriage (Marriage), Godhuli (Mudhuli hour), goddess (goddess), and Shine (Hunting) in reversible embroidery works of art. A black and white creation titled chessExplaining contemporary politics on a chess is particularly striking. Says Kalsi, “I think them as co-formation, rather than just working with artisans,” Kalsi, whose artworks and design are the result of prolonged connections with intervention craftsmen.

Exposure the collective of women

Many creations include stories of Indian communities that practice embroidery and feature women’s works, such as indigenous forms, Kantha, SujaniAnd RabriKach-based crafts organizations demonstrate traditional needlework of Jat and Mutwa communities of the panel area by Shrujan.

New York -based architect, artist, and designer Ghira Aroni’s establishment (on performing in the immovable policy), Garden And We can become infiniteUse vintage panels of GardenHe connects this traditional craft from Punjab with his embroidery, in which his mother characterized the painting and lesson from the love letters written as a young woman.

Details in the establishment of Ghoora Aroni

Another amazing performance is Arvalli: Eternal mentor of JodhpurAn installation by Karishma Swali and The Chankya School of Craft, known for training and provoking women’s artisans. It has two textile panels, which are made using a bamboo and cotton sculpture along with baskets and chevron knitting techniques, “a metaphor for women’s weavers’ flexibility and creativity”.

Arvalli: Eternal mentor of Jodhpur

Pushing the needle

In Laxmi Niwas, establishments provoked abstraction and avant-garde. in setting Travel rootsJean-French Laase, founder of embroidery founder Atellier Wastery, Historical Red Dera Mates-Related to Shah Jahan from the 17th-century Mughal Tent, prepared from red silk velvet and embroidered with gold threads. “This piece is made of hundreds of thousands of wooden beads and hand paint, which suggests the color of the earth of Rajasthan.” A short red dera inside the bead structure stands, its mirror base reflects the complex craftsmanship of the interiors.

Jean-French Less Travel roots

Short red dera

Cross three places surfaceHowever, no exhibition is like a mixed media installation of Haryana -born Haryana artist Shine Shivan, Kshatra streamA week before the show opened, two trucks took the cylindrical packages wrapped in torpulin – masks, rotting seeds, dentures, scrap fabrics, earthen pots, toys, decoration items and chicken ends – 1,000 kg The weight of more, weighing more than 1,000 kg. Old city. Shivan then gathered the Makabre Installation, which was built on the site as a cave of curiosities, inspired by taxidarms.

Shine Shivan Kshatra stream
Photo Credit: Courtesy @Shineshivan

“Our aim was not to generate shock value or not to attract people. It was just to make art, “he explicitly says. But it also challenges the concept of surface decoration. Can a terrible decorative be decorative? The establishment of Shivan is gathered with dust and keeps asking questions.

The surface ends on 23 February.

Writers and editors are located in Delhi.