Shelly Jyoti has created a series of contemporary silhouettes to document the blocks used by ajrakh printers of Bhuj
The use of textiles in art is nothing new. But while previously most artists used textiles as a medium to present their art, here is an artist who is using her art to promote textiles and age-old printing technique from India. Shelly Jyoti has worked on site-specific textile (khadi) installations, garments with ajrakh prints and paintings that document 21st century textile traditions for her forthcoming show at IIC.
“Ajrakh is one of the oldest types of block printing on textiles still practiced in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Ajrakh textile traditions take 20-odd individual steps in producing the cloth — from double-sided printing with wooden blocks and pre-soaking the cloth in a mix of camel dung, soda ash and castor oil to mixing the dye-resistant pastes from gum and millet flour and blending secondary dyes from an array of natural sources. This is a centuries-old craft practiced by Khatris, characterised by its complex geometrical patterns, its use of natural dyes and its skilled, extensive production process. The patterns share similarities with ancient Indus Valley Civilization patterns and the patterns of medieval clothes traded along the Indian Ocean route. The Partition of India and Pakistan hugely affected the practice and trading of block-printed textiles. Many families were split over the two countries and displaced into new surroundings. I personally feel responsible towards the craft as I feel heritage should be preserved and documented through visual artworks,” says Jyoti.
Timeless Silhouettes: Angrakhas is a series of five garment-based artworks. Jyoti captures the techniques and patterns of ajrakh textile traditions on khadi to document what women wear in 21st century. The five different contemporary silhouettes have an influence of Mughal period and were historically known as angrakha and jama style, which was worn by men during the Mughal period in medieval India. Timeless silhouettes: Blouse is a series of seven silhouettes of blouses worn by contemporary women in India. Through the series, Jyoti has documented the blocks used by ajrakh printers of Ajrakhpur in Bhuj, Gujarat. She says, “The blocks used in these artworks are 400-year-old patterns and share similarities with ancient Indus Valley Civilization patterns especially the Fustat block which has historical reference to textile pieces found and excavated at Fustat (old Cairo), dated to the 14th century AD.”
Allow me to Grow without Fear is an ajrakh baby frock/dress installation expressing the constant fear of a girl child and her desire to grow up without fear or inhibitions, including the threat of rape, molestation or sexual assault. “Through these works I explore the possibilities of establishing alternative societies where Gandhian ideals of swadharma and sarvodya could provide hope for individuals and raise them to the higher moral and ethical plane,” says Jyoti.
Jyoti works closely with the families of craftspeople for her works. For this show, she has worked with the family of late Mohammed Siddik, the ninth generation of Khatris in Dhamadka. “I work with Junaid Ismail Khatri, son of Ismail Mohmd Khatri. Junaid graduated in 2006 from KRV School of Design. I have been working with them since 2009 as a visual artist to create my artworks,” she informs.