One after another, saris with coloured borders lined with kasavu , replete with embroidered lilies and lotuses, are being unfurled at Tvam design studio. Woven in Chendamangalam, a small taluk in Paravoor, Ernakulam which was severely affected by the floods, these saris are cultural markers and tells the story of survival. Borders of red and blue, embellished with a hint of golden; hand-dyed in various shades, sometimes intense and crowded while at others, soft and paced out. Golden lotuses and other elements inspired from Kerala murals too, make an appearance: Pravaha, meaning ‘flow’, is a limited edition sari collection for Vishu, by designer and artist Lakshmi Srinath, who redefines the handwoven saris of Chendamangalam.
It began with a Facebook post, seeking support to resurrect saris that were damaged in the flood, that drew Lakshmi’s attention. “I love to do surface and colour intervention on fabric and I wanted to contribute,” says Lakshmi. But they failed to get in touch. Coincidentally, the idea was again brought to the table at an art auction for charity organised by the Care4Chendamangalam wing of Care4Cause organisation, a collective of five city-based entrepreneurs who work with 42 women weavers of Chendamangalam who were severely affected by the floods in August 2018. As of now, they have also identified nine designers to work with these women weavers.
Lakshmi decided to collaborate with Preetha Reddy, Minnie Menon, Meera Mammen, Thejomaye Menon and Sekhar Sitharaman to source a few handwoven saris. “I based it on water and its contrasting facets — calm and turbulent. When the calmness turned into turbulence, a lot of damage was caused. This is what I wanted to focus on,” says Lakshmi. The woven sari is essentially of a plain cream colour, bordered with brighter colours and without any patterns. Colours that match the existing borders, have been dyed on, in a way that reflects the larger theme. Embroidered swirls, patterns and flower motifs are strewn across the fabric, sometimes in clusters and sometimes in isolation. “The colours of the dyes were chosen according to the existing borders. And the elements are also very intrinsic to Kerala,” continues the designer who does only concept-based saris.
Tvam’s journey began in 2012 from a room in Lakshmi’s residence, and grew steadily to the aesthetic, rustic outlet in RA Puram now. “For me a sari is a canvas, and when we open out a sari, it’s like unfurling a canvas: as a work of art,” she says. Every sari, she believes, tells a story.
“I am also trying to change the way people see jewellery,” she says, picking up a black beaded chunky chain with a large pearl. Another chain, an emerald one, has a jade cigarette holder as a connector. The pieces are collected over a period of time, from different places.
Pravaha will be launched with an interactive abhinaya performance by Gopika Varma, about water and its various facets, and a conversation on art and the weavers of Chendamangalam. A presentation will be screened by Care4Chendamangalam, on the damage caused by the floods and the recuperation process. The performance and conversations around Pravaha will be held today from 5 pm to 7 pm at Tvam Art and Design Studio, 1st Main Road, RA Puram. Call 9884432401.
