STITCHING TOGETHER THE FUTURE
A new approach to high art brings viewers a message of sustainability; catch Threaded Visions: Contemporary Embroidery for a Sustainable Future at the India Art Fair this year
It is exciting when art forms reinvent themselves. A preview to such a venture reveals that masterpieces created by well-known modern and contemporary artist then rendered in hand embroidered exquisiteness bring two art forms together and awaken viewers to a message regarding our environment.
The exhibition Threaded Visions: Contemporary Embroidery for a Sustainable Future opens in New Delhi at the 15th edition of India Art Fair, National Institutional Section, booth L01 from 1st to 4
th February 2024.
The exhibition is the brain child of Shalini Passi. Through her organisation M.A.S.H. she collaborated with Milaaya, an embroidery atelier founded by Gayatri Khanna and curator Dr. Arshiya Lokhandwala to bring forth an exhibition that is an intervention of contemporary art with embroidery.
A textural journey it transforms legendary art of celebrated Indian artists, like SH Raza, Ram Kumar, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, Nilima Sheikh K.K. Hebbar and Ranbir Kaleka into a hand embroidered masterpiece that addresses critical issues of sustainability and climate change through the lens of modern and contemporary artists employing the medium of embroidery converted into hand-embroidered masterpieces by Milaaya Art.
Each work reflects an exploration of environmental concerns, advocating for sustainable practices such as recycling, the use of renewable fuels, water conservation, and the preservation of biodiversity in the animal kingdom.
Shalini Passi feels that, “Slow fashion and the conservation of craft are the strongest pillars of sustainability and I feel this show not just celebrates the hands that craft such delicate embroidery, it is also a testimony to a slow, art infused way of life.”
Gayatri Khanna, Milaaya, agrees that it is important to, “Not just elevate the realm of hand embroidery to an authentic art, but also throw light on the sheer genius of our embroiderers and embroidery schools that India is revered for globally. A slowly dying heritage, hand embroidery when transformed into art makes these museum pieces accessible to many. At the same time ensuring that a craft is kept alive in our collective consciousness,” she avers.
The artworks showcased in the exhibition are embroidered by the skilled craftsmen of Milaaya embroideries. These intricate pieces not only highlight the richness of embroidery as an art form but also celebrate the diverse traditions and skills of India, encompassing Aari and Zardozi techniques, Satin stitch, Phulkari, Kutch embroidery, and French knots, to name a few. Through this artistic endeavor, viewers are invited to experience the interconnectedness of our planet, contemplating the complex web of embroideries as a metaphor for the interwoven fabric of global sustainability.
Whilst curating the show and selecting the artist and their artwork, the curator Dr Arshiya Lokhandwala was mindful to select works that reflected the subject of mindful and sustainable living. She shares, “Threaded Visions: Contemporary Embroidery for a Sustainable Future” promises to be a thought-provoking and visually compelling exhibition that underscores the urgency of environmental responsibility through the lens of contemporary art through an intervention with embroidery.”
Text By: Georgia Maddox
