Pichwai Handmade Artwork at Shanti Banaras

In 2019, at a wedding in one of India’s largest industrialist families, 80 intricately embroidered frames depicting Lord Krishna and Radha were gifted to guests. Not many know but these were courtesy of Khushi Shah, the founder of the apparel brand Shanti Banaras. One of its usual offerings of handlooms and textiles, the Banaras-based brand says this is the largest order for their latest venture: the hand-embroidered Pichwai Tapestry. “When we displayed these pieces at our Delhi store that was launched last year, we received orders from many, including NRIs. Khushi says of the new range crafted by artisans from Banaras, as a result of our work helping some clients to furnish their homes with hand woven fabrics, we decided to launch our own home line of hand embroidered artworks did.

Zardosi meets Swarovski

The collection of five hand-embroidered artifacts that are currently on display are crafted in colored silk – 170 shades of thread to be exact. “There is zardozi work in the borders and velvet in the corners. Also, we have used Swarovski and decorated it with various ornaments to complete the look.” She says the artworks are going to be an ongoing offering by the brand.

Drawing from the 400-year-old art of Pichwai’s Rajasthan, the tapestries depict beautiful trees in green and yellow hues, lotuses, blue rivers, architecture, peacocks, and more. Describing one of her first unique creations for a client, she says, “It was the pichwai of Lord Srinath, Ganesha and Kartikeya. You will not find these three easily in one painting. It was just our vision which was called We thought.” But why Pichwai? And we decided to give them our own ‘peace’ spin. The uniqueness of our artworks lies in the details as our hand-painted pichwais have intricate embroidery,” she says, adding that each piece was conceptualized by a team of designers. which involves a weaver, and a dyer, among others.

behind the art

Khushi says that behind every artwork there is a unique story. For example, his most prominent work – the classic Boat of Love – is divided into two scenes. “The upper half of the painting depicts Lord Krishna and Radha enjoying the sunset and city views in a boat” sakhis While the river bank is demarcated with architecture depicting the embankment of the palace. In the lower part, the couple is hidden from the outside world by the lush greenery of the forest. Another tapestry close to his heart is Shri Shringar, in which you can see Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya welcoming Shrinathji and performing them. makeup, “About 97 silk threads and Swarovski beads were used. It is very finely laid and depicts a picturesque lake with a foyer in front, and is filled with traditional Pichwai motifs such as cows, lush forests as well as a palatial house,” explains Khushi, who Now looking to create a contemporary touch of traditional Indian embroidery in new artworks.

Pichwai depicting Lord Krishna and Radha

Describing the painstaking process behind creating this art, she begins by addressing how one of her first pieces took about nine to 10 months. After the idea phase, the piece goes for sketching and after that a graph is drawn which is made to finalize the art. “The team then sits down and matches the colors. This is just the back-end work that is done before the piece is actually spread on a. outline For embroidery which takes up to 2-3 months. Artisans are able to embroider only half a meter a day due to its subtle nature. Thereafter, the piece is sent for finishing and additional support, a process that requires patience,” says Khushi, admitting that Pichwai was never her specialty, and Banarasi was the only one she did, “Some factors had to be explored such as the measurements, finding a group of artisans to do the work, having a full team of designers, and the types of colors needed – all of which took time to curate. Now each embroidery takes a month or two to complete.” As well as being available for sale, Khushi also offers customization. And as far as the apparel segment is concerned, handloom enthusiasts can expect a collection of men’s wear including hand-embroidered bridal lehengas as well as shawls and sherwanis, all of which will be launched soon.

₹5 Lakhs ahead. @shantibanaras on Instagram