Dhee Artspace at Hyderabad, a Crossroads of Arts and Crafts, From Crochet to Kalamkari

Dhi Artspace, Hyderabad welcomes visitors to art works made using bamboo, crochet, beads, hand painted Kalamkari and crochet. The exhibition, titled Crafting the Crossroads, is an attempt to use the craft as a form of fine art. In the process, the five participating artists attempt to address questions of identity as well as showcase the craft’s history and cultural context. Curated by Somedutt Malik, the exhibition highlights the work of artists Chaturi Nisansala, Shruti Mahajan, Moushumi Karmakar, Rajarshi Sengupta and Susanna Bauer.

In memory of the Easter bombings

Chaturi Nisansala, a multidisciplinary artist from Sri Lanka, pays tribute to those who lost their lives in the suicide bombings that rocked Colombo on Easter, 2019. His series is titled ‘When the flesh fades, you all have the memory of them’. , She uses broken and fractured sculptures collected from bombing sites and the beadwork and costume-making techniques of southern Sri Lanka to create artworks that could start a conversation about unrest and violence in her country. His research led him to new monuments within the churches that had been attacked, where he saw material displayed in memory of the departed. The costumes she uses to craft the sculptures and objects are a dying craft native to the Matara coastal region of Sri Lanka. Chaturi apprenticed with Sompala Pothupitiya, who is reportedly among the last artisans of the Navandane community to practice the technique. Wanting to understand the tradition of ritualistic dress-making, Chaturi also wanted to create a new discourse by using it to invoke a sense of healing and hope.

Moushumi Karmakar’s work draws inspiration from the fishermen community in West Bengal. The artist from Kolkata drew the audience’s attention to the cages made of bamboo and palm tree fibers, which are used by some fishing communities. A cage with a criss-cross grid pattern traps fish when lowered into the water. Mausumi uses bamboo and palm fibers to make architectural models as well as small sculptures. Growing up watching her father, a carpenter, create various objects, she was interested in learning to make structures and her art practice helped her create abstract sculptural forms.

not just a leaf

Susannah Bauer’s Delicate Crochet on a Leaf | photo credit: special arrangement

Susannah Bauer uses natural leaves and crochet to draw our attention to the beauty and intricacies of the environment and the relationship we build with the world. A closer look at the single leaf that has been framed and the delicate lace crochet work reveals. The artist, who hails from Germany and now works in the UK, revealed in her statement that handmade lace crochet on leaves is a painstaking technique given the fragility of the surface material – the leaf. She uses fine thorns, needles and thread to make patterns on the leaves. She also works with crochet to attach and reshape leaves and create branch-like structures.

Kalamkari Artwork of Rajarshi Sengupta | photo credit: special arrangement

The hand-painted Kalamkari becomes the medium through which Rajarshi Sengupta depicts the early settlements around water bodies, the lifestyles of craft communities and trade routes. A Kalamkari artwork in natural colors displayed on a table consists of several images that can be viewed from different angles. Some of the images of his work depict how Kalamkari artisans wash and color clothes, landscapes and other details. During his visits to Kalamkari craft groups in Machilipatnam, he found paintings belonging to the 17th and 18th centuries and Southeast Asian cultures, familiar to artisans along the trade routes. Rajarshi’s work embraces the utilitarian aspect of Kalamkari in the form of cushion covers and bags as well. Some of his works in the series were displayed at the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad late last year.

warp and weft

Shruti Mahajan’s work inspired by the weaving process. photo credit: special arrangement

Shruti Mahajan takes cues from time spent in Maheshwar, observing skilled weavers taking the warp and weft process for hand-woven fabric. She uses the practice of knitting, but turns a piece of fabric into a work of art, incorporating techniques of smocking and a wavy, patterned border that resembles lace work. Elsewhere, she draws on buttered paper with a ball pen to give light and shadow patterns on the surface, representing night and day, turning it into a piece that could be a conversation starter on the techniques involved and the craft history. Is.

, Crafting will be seen at the crossroads at Dhee Artspace, Hyderabad till August 21)