Press Release
Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) is all set to present an exhibition which traces an evolution of aesthetics in Indian handmade textiles post-independence till now. The exhibition has been commissioned by JKK and will be open for public viewing from 22 June to 31 July. Other than this on 2 July, a special viewing of the exhibition will also be held. The Guest of Honour on the occasion will be Member of Chief Minister’s Advisory Council, Art and Culture, Government of Rajasthan, Ms. Malvika Singh. The exhibition has been curated by Mayank Mansingh Kaul and designed by Reha Sodhi. It will on view from 11 am and 7 pm daily, with the exception of Public Holidays.
Reflecting the fields of art, design, fashion and craft, the exhibition will presents paintings on cloth, tapestries, sculpture, carpets and rugs, saris, garments and other forms of creative expression in fabric. Together, they will convey the expected and often unusual journeys in materials and techniques which have shaped the explorations of creative makers, master artisans, craftspeople, artists, designers as well as experimental, niche design studios and popular, well known brands.
The exhibition has been themed in accordance with the various trajectories post India’s independence in 1947. These themes will include –The National Movement, Khadi and the effects of the European-colonial encounter in the early to mid- 20th Century; the engagement with International Modernism from the 1950s till today. Similarly, the displays will also showcase an intense revival period in village-based crafts and textiles beginning with the 1970s which has informed the present ecology of urban design; textiles as a means and metaphor for sculpture; Indian minimalism and much more.
The artists and designers whose works will be presented in the exhibition are –Amit Aggarwal, Bashobi Tewari, Berenice Ellena, Charu Wadhwa, Ghiora Aharoni, Manisha Arora, Riten Mazumdar, Ritu Kumar, Sanjay Garg, Toofan Rafai, among others. Other than this, the studios, brands and organisations to be represented in the exhibition will include 11:11, Abraham & Thakore, Anokhi, Bandhej, Khamir, Lesage, The National Institute of Design, The Registry of Saris and The Weavers Service Centres.
The presented works will be additionally drawn from relevant artand textile collections including The Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi; Ms Lekha & Mr Anupam Poddar, New Delhi; Ms Priya Paul, New Delhi; The Museum of Art & Photography, Bangalore and Dr Monisha Ahmed, Mumbai. The contributing galleries will include Nature Morte and Art, Motif in New Delhi and Jhaveri Contemporary in Mumbai.