“It is heartening to observe the trend of young men and women coming back to traditional weaving these days,” says Judy Frater, co-founder of Somaiya Kala Vidya (SKV), an institute for the education of artisans, established in 2014.
She adds, “Weavers in Kutch are confident and happy. Not only are they now respected, but have also started making a livelihood out of weaving, as it is a viable source of income.”
Frater has lived in Kutch, Gujarat, and worked with artisans for over 25 years. She founded and operated Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya, the first-ever design school for artisans, and was awarded the Ashoka Fellowship in 2003 for this concept. In 2014, she co-founded SKV, with the aim to instil confidence in artisans and empower and teach them management skills.
“These working traditional artisans of Kutch already have the knowledge and design aesthetics. We teach them new design, innovations and upgrade existing skills. We also impart business management education to them,” says Frater.
SKV offers a 11-month course, thereby making higher education possible for these weavers; in fact, the curricula, class schedule and language of instruction is designed to accommodate the artisans’ lifestyle.
Outreach programme
SKV’s innovative Outreach Programme, Bhujodi to Bagalkot, brings in the concept of interaction and learning from artisan to artisan.
“Ilkal sari weavers of Bagalkot district, Karnataka, and chikan embroiderers of Lucknow work with weavers and embroiderers of Kutch. The result is astonishing. Together, these traditional artisans have innovated on Ilkal and chikan. The Kutch weavers have drawn inspiration from Bagalkot,” she explains.
While it is important to preserve traditional weaving knowledge, such interaction makes them think innovatively and reinvent, while at the same time retaining their originality, says Frater.
“Working in local tradition is crucial, as only then can we preserve culture and tradition. If every weaver weaves only for a designer, then we might as well weave it in China is it not?” she asks.
Sticking to tradition
SKV began the Artisan-to-Artisan programme in 2014, to share the benefits of artisan education.
Artisan Designer graduates mentor less-exposed artisans to innovate within existing traditions. The programme ensures sustainability of traditions, and motivates artisans to consider design education.
“We don’t combine or dilute traditions. Our Kutch artisan designers taught Bagalkot weavers to innovate their own traditions. It’s the same with chikan or suf. They taught them design skills. It was sort of mentoring in design. So we have four distinctive collections: Kamtagi Ilkal weaving, Bhujodi weaving, suf embroidery and chikan embroidery.”
Each year, the artisans visit and exhibit their products in different metros, which are higher-level markets where new products and designs are well received. “In turn, the artisans learn more about the tastes of their clients through direct interaction,” says Frater, who has brought her artisans for the first time to Chennai to showcase their art.
The exhibition, Bhujodi to Bagalkot, will bring in 17 artisans of this collaborative programme, who will present their products at two different locations in Chennai.
The exhibition will showcase an unusual range of artisan designed work: contemporary saris, dupattas, stoles and kurtas, handcrafted in natural fibres using ancient traditions.
