Why a good collaboration is not just a union of two crafts, but an expression of respect, generosity, and creativity
Why a good collaboration is not just a union of two crafts, but an expression of respect, generosity, and creativity
Ashdin Leelaowalla understands collaboration the way some of his peers do. Over the years, she has worked continuously with brands as diverse as Ekaya (Banarasi silks were woven with Parsi in 2016) slurry birds of paradise, chrysanthemums and peonies) and, more recently, Kanakavalli of Chennai, kanjeevaram Brand founded by Ahalya S.
The Delhi-based designer, who puts the 200-year-old needlepoint technique (which originated in China and was popularized by Parsis in India) in a contemporary vocabulary, says that with each partnership he takes on “Parsi”. slurry design and embroidery, and takes it further because good collaboration is a marriage of equals”.
An embroiderer working on a Ashdeen x Kanakavalli saree
With the Ashdin x Kanakavalli collab, he and Ahilya deliberated over a year, putting a lot of thought and experimentation into each choice of color, thread, and pattern, to arrive at one language for the 40-piece embroidery collection. Can you When it released earlier this month, it received strong criticism from ‘purists’ and rave reviews from ‘modernists’. Yet this collection is different from anything seen before in terms of presentation of Kanjeevaram sarees.
Over the years, popular wedding silk retailers like Pothis, RMKV and Saravana stores have stocked embroidered Kanjeevaram. I have struggled to articulate the aesthetic difference, beyond a description of the physical quality or the detailed shape of the motifs. When I looked at the two versions (the Kolab and the other embroidered Kanjeevaram), which were for completely different markets, the honesty of the language revealed itself. What works with Ashdin x Kanakavalli is that they have traced the 12 pillars of a good collaboration: contrast, balance, emphasis, proportion, hierarchy, repetition, rhythm, pattern, white space, movement, diversity and unity. .
carry on the tradition
If there’s a thread that holds it firmly slurry x Kanjeevaram Collection Within our saree vault, is this: In India, collaboration is a tradition ,
At its core, it is the willingness of creative minds to come together to take up each other’s art or practice as they passionately believe they are creating change for the better – not only within their own skill sets, but Even for the gamut of people involved. Artists and Craftsmen for the Consumer. Examine the premises of your favorite clothing, food or even music, and you will find at least five scenarios of innovation in practices. All are the result of good cooperation. Here are my three all-time favourites:
Ashdin x Kanakavalli
Ikat in Knitting: In 2015, TN Venkatesh, former Managing Director of Co-Optex, took its weavers to visit and learn from many. ikat Weaving centers at Nalgonda and Puttapakka in Andhra Pradesh. An enterprising administrator, he also invited some loyal Sari patrons from the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (or Co-optex) to join the team. Today, just seven years later, the Chinnalpatti saree that was once recognized as the poor sister of the Kanchipuram saree, is different from incorporating the ikat into its design practice. In a jiffy the weavers learned a new skill and the women ensured that the market was encouraged to support them.
color of currencies, Danceuse’s Bharatanatyam lessons by Rukmini Vijayakumar (@dancerrukmini on Instagram) are marked by contemporary renditions of classical themes.
Rukmini Vijaykumar
One is mesmerized not only by her physical prowess, but also by how different aspects of artistry (such as the ballet context) collaborate to elevate the performance. Their sarees are selected with special care to draw attention to their movements, highlighting the color combination currencies, Her jewellery, especially a signature waistband, has become a design element. The artist interprets danseuse musical compositions (an AR Rahman song was a particular favorite last year) cleverly marrying her movements with beats.
painting with loom
Between the 1960s and 1980s, an order was issued to Weaver Service Centers (WSCs) to make wedding sarees that brought together the different skill sets of its various representative centres. Weavers, craftsmen and painters were sent to interact with their comrades in the hope that “something new” would be created. In the one-room museum of the Kancheepuram Weavers Society, you can still see the weaving of Kanjeevaram saris. Baluchari motifs. In a similar extension to the practice, WSCs are home to textiles designed by painters such as Prabhakar Barve, Anand Mohan Naik and Gopal Adivarkar, who practiced textile design as an art before establishing themselves as independent artists. .
A Spiritual Meeting: Then there is the mystical collaboration, where the growth of a skill set is pushed to the limits of near spirituality. The President of Karnataka Crafts Council, Bharathi Govindaraja, has an exquisite collection of Kanjeevarams, which are exquisitely embroidered. Kantha by National Award winner Mahua Sen Govt. The artist’s work reflects her taste and love of textiles and crafts, which is cool with richly colored embroidery of village scenes. This is no easy task, each collaboration is truly singular.
Ashdeen x Kanakavalli focuses on the respect with which a good collaboration unfolds – with an emphasis on choosing nuances that enrich both practices without diminishing one another. Generosity is one of the key aspects, along with freedom of expression and artistic license. It is truly remarkable how the weavers share their expertise with other clusters without worrying about the outcome. How musicians and jewelers are delighted to learn that their work has reached new audiences through dancers. Or how a discerning patron and risk-taking artisan can share an intimate belief in the knowledge that a unique, co-created fabric will bring joy.
Ellie Mathon is a perfumer who studies community, identity and material science as a student of textiles with a saree registry.