The six-yard saree was medium and message when a group of young women engaged in collaborative art to transform a piece of white cloth into fetching attire.
Brought together by Sankalpa, an art therapy and creative empowerment endeavour in Auroville, the women from an adjoining rural community were asked to set free their imagination and bring alive their New Year thoughts on the saree.
In all, 12 women collaborated for the art saree which was created at the Sankalpa Life Education Center in Kottakarai, which has since 1991 been equipping rural woman with life skills and empowering them.
Following a guided meditation session led by Krupa Jhaveri, Sankalpa director and art therapist, the women went about expressing their New Year intentions (sankalpas), dreams and wishes with fabric paints on the cotton saree.
The thoughts included hopes for education and learning, vocation such as sewing machine as well as independence in mobility such as learning to ride a motorbike. And, these thoughts produced a variety of interesting motifs that embellished the saree which has been sent to a donor in the U.S.
“Using the traditional and iconic sari as a platform for collaborative self-expression has proven to be a success in the hundreds of participants who have joined in to create the three pieces thus far,” says Ms. Jhaveri.
The other two art sarees were created as tribute to the tsunamika anniversary on January 10. Sankalpa has hosted three community spaces (prayer flags, sari painting and doll lanterns) at the event.
“I have found that that children and women are inhibited by a lack of confidence in their own creativity. We facilitate the community spaces that allow them the freedom to express ideas that often do not lend themselves to be articulated in words,” said Ms. Jhaveri.
“The Art Saree was conceived in my work because of the need to integrate the traditions of the local Tamil culture and to meet people in a space with media which are familiar and engaging on some level,” she added.
The art therapist said that though there have been requests for more art sarees, Sankalpa is scouting for funding to be able to increasingly engage rural women in this creative enterprise. Sankalpa’s art journeys have sought to “provide supportive spaces, resources and education for open creative expression, and nurturing awareness reflected in art.”
The organisation also works to promote global art exchanges, “bridging barriers between cultures, and exploring transformation through connection.”
Sankalpa is also in the process of giving shape to its vision for an art centre — a complex of seven buildings offering spaces for art, music, drama, dance and more.
“The proposed Sankalpa art center will be a geodesic dome structure with a low mud-brick wall; a space for regular art therapy sessions, workshops, trainings and much more. One aspect of our vision includes young Aurovilian children from all backgrounds as well as young Tamil children from neighboring villages learning together and from each other,” said Ms. Jhaveri.
The launch of the facility is expected on February 14 in the International Zone of Auroville.
