Sirjana Singh uses traditional craft in her latest designs. She was also invited to San Francisco to talk about Rajasthan’s age-old techniques. She chatted with Karan Bhardwaj
Fashion calendar may look dull during summers but that doesn’t mean designers are not at work. Take Delhi-based jewellery designer Sirjana Singh. She was busy working on her new collection for past three months and is now ready to flaunt them at various dos. “I have done four collections this season on gold, silver and bronze. It was quite tedious but I enjoy my work. I am showcasing them at Wedding Asia,” the designer told us. One is gold leaf collection which is a fusion of kundan and minakari work. It has neck pieces, bracelets and earrings. “In silver, I do only earrings. For one collection, I have used brass as metal base. The Victorian line is Western with lots of diamond, polkis and semi-precious stones,” she said.
Most of her creations are inspired from traditional crafts. “I am well-attached to our roots. I have always been fascinated by the intricate hand crafted pieces which are as much a milestones in our history as any historical event. However, I believe that the traditional Indian craftsmen are being exploited,” she said.
In March, she was invited by SACHI (Society of Art culture heritage of India) and the Asian Arts Museum in San Francisco to deliver a lecture on Indian crafts. “It was a true honour. I had to research a lot for my presentation,” she said. She chose to talk about Rajasthani techniques of kundan, thewa and minakari, for which she even visited the interiors of the state. “Thewa is done by Soni clan of Pratapgarh. It’s a 300-year-old craft. It’s lengthy and intricate process of fusing gold on coloured glasses. But interestingly, they are keeping it as a secret and don’t share the process even to their daughters. Only limited family members are allowed to do it. I got to meet Nitesh, who is award-winning Thewa artist from this family,” she shared. However, minakari technique, which she found at Nathdwar region, is exactly opposite to thewa.
“First, glass is crushed and heated to 1000 degrees and then fused on gold. It is practiced by Marwari and Mina communities,” she said. However, the artforms are dying slowly. “There used to be 500 karkhanas of minakari technique in the area which has come down to 25,” informed the 38-year-old designer said. Singh belongs to Chandigarh but is now settled in Delhi.
She owns Studio Sirjana at Shahpur Jat village.