A woman at a sewing machine and with a headscarf working on a laptop – these are two photos of 28-year-old Hafeeza Khan, sewn onto a piece of cloth. It was Ms. Khan’s idea of independence and empowerment.
Shamima Mirza, a single mother who had never picked up a paintbrush in her life, made a painting with birds flying in the background of white clouds and a blue sky.
Ms. Khan and Ms. Mirza’s artworks are part of a 41-foot-long and 8-foot-tall tapestry. In all, 354 survivors of the violence are exhibiting their art at the oldest museum in the country, the Indian Museum in Kolkata.
He drew, painted, wrote and embroidered his dreams on colorful fabrics.
Towards one end of the tapestry, there are just words – “friendship,” “imagination” [imagination]”, “Summons [respect]”In Hindi” and “Khwabi” [dream]”and” release [relief]”in Urdu.
An elderly woman named Alam Ara has written a message in Urdu on the tapestry, which roughly means that challenges can be difficult for one person to face when alone, but if a group of people come together, So it becomes very easy. ,
The intricate tapestry is so full of images, pictures and words that it took Ms. Alara and Ms. Khan and Ms. Mirza a few minutes to figure out their works.
After months of hard work and six rounds of a workshop, women not only from Kolkata but from different parts of the state have put together the tapestry, which is on the walls of the pre- and proto-history halls of India. archive.
“The tapestry invites viewers to look inward and seek to change the thoughts, attitudes and behaviors that discriminate against women. It is said that art changes people and people change the world.” We hope this tapestry will inspire viewers to take steps to create a violence-free world,” said Anuradha Kapoor, director and founder of SWAYAM, which has put together artwork featuring women.
Experts who trained women to participate in the unique practice of collaborative art said the effort was a three-stage process of release, proclamation and expression. Along with amazing creativity and artistry, the effort is to empower women and draw attention to the violence against them.
“It is amazing that we are using this historical place for this tapestry, which is a famous and important place in India and Asia. I congratulate all the women who brought their vision to the public domain. I wish that many people would see this and accept the feelings of women, ”Astrid Wege, Director of the Goethe Institute / Max Müller Building, who inaugurated the exhibition.
Along with the tapestry, some of the comments and quotes by women have been enlarged and displayed in the gallery so that visitors can see them easily.
The exhibition titled ‘Weaving Dreams – Women Imagine a Violence Free World’ will be on display at the Indian Museum till April 30.