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CRAFT DESIGN PROJECT 2019 By
Drishti Jaggi Juhi Nishad Hemakshi Devi Pragati Mohapatra Shimanshi Priya Siddhant Abnave Vidhi Palan Textile Design Batch 2016-20 Faculty Guide : Dr. Reena Aggarwal
Plot no. 15, Sector 4, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra 410210 Tel:022 2774 7100
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contents 01 SOLAPUR 02 WALL HANGINGS OF SOLAPUR 03 PROJECT BRIEF 04 PRODUCT 05 CLIENT 06 CURATORS 07 BRAND 08 THEME 09 SKETCHES 10 COMPOSITION 11 ARTISAN PROFILE 12 PROCESS WORK 13 FINAL PRODUCT 14 OUR EXPERIENCE 15 GLOSSARY
keywords Yarn Handloom Woven Tradition Craft Wall hanging
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abstract Each day the work of these artisans go by unnoticed therefore as a part of the Craft Cluster Project, a documentation was prepared by the students of Bachelor of Design of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Mumbai on Wallhangings of Solapur in the academic year 2018-19. Through an in-depth study of the process, techniques, current scenario of the craft and the socio-economic condition of the craftsmen and interaction with the craft people we became more sensitized about the craft. It also gave us an insight of reginal sensibilities, diversities, resources and environment. Further interaction provided us with a window on methods to work in the craft sector with artisans and aid them to promote themselves through various means of design and technology that we’ve learnt. The visit to Solapur also kindled a sense of appreciation for not just the beautiful craft but also the artisans without whom our country’s rich culture would be merely another chapter in History. The most fascinating sight was seeing the artisans work inside their vibrant homes from spinning the yarn to making of ornamentation on the loom, learning some of the techniques ourselves. We are very grateful for the opportunity to be working with the artisans again and help them with a project of expansion.
National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai
Solapur
Special Thanks
Dr. Reena Aggarwal Centre Co-ordinator Textile Design
Shrinivas Jindam Jindam Handlooms
Our Family Friends
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Environment outside artisan’s workplace
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01 01.1 Demographics MAHARASHTRA Maharashtra is a state in the western region of India and is India's second-most populous state and third-largest state by area. It has over 112 million inhabitants and its capital, Mumbai, has a population of approximately 18 million. Nagpur is Maharashtra's second capital as well as its winter capital. Maharashtra's business opportunities along with its potential to offer a higher standard of living attract migrants from all over India. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west and the Indian states of Karnataka, Telangana, Goa, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Solapur
Area: 14895 sq. km (district) Population: 604,215 (1991 Census) Climate: Tropical Rainfall: Average 897.8 mm Summer: 42° C to 28º C Winter: 27° C to 13° C Latitude: 17° 42¢ to 18° 32¢ Longitude: 74° 33¢ to 76° 54¢ Clothing: Light Cotton and Woolen in winter STD Code: 02172
Maharashtra is the wealthiest and one of the most developed states in India, contributing 25% of the country's industrial output and 23.2% of its GDP (2010–11). As of 2011, the state had a per capita income of 1.0035 lakh (US$1,600), more than the national average of 0.73 lakh (US$1,100). SOLAPUR Solapur is a city located in the south-western region of the Indian state of Maharashtra.. Solapur is located on major road and rail routes between Mumbai and Hyderabad, with a branch line to the cities of Bijapur and Gadag in the neighbouring state of Karnataka. Solapur is located at a distance of 410 km from Mumbai, capital of the state. Solapur is the fifth largest urban agglomeration in Maharashtra state. It lies entirely in the basins of rivers the Bhima, the Seena, the Nira, and the Maan. The Bhima demarcates the border between Maharashtra and Karnataka States in Solapur District. The shape of the district resembles a flying eagle.
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Museum in Solapur
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01.2 History 'Solapur', in Marathi is believed to be derived from the combination of two words: 'Sola meaning "sixteen" and pur meaning "village" The present city of Solapur was considered to be spread over sixteen villages : Aadilpur, Ahmedpur, Chapaldev, Fatehpur, Jamdarwadi, Kalajapur, Khadarpur, Khandervkiwadi, Muhammadpur, Ranapur, Sandpaper, Shakur, Solapur, Sonallagi, Sonapur and Vaidakwadi ,all these villages are now merged with Solapur Municipal Corporation. The Solapur District was ruled by various dynasties like the Andhrabhratyas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas and Bahamanis. The inscriptions of chief deity of Solapur Shivyogi Shri Siddheshwar of the time of the Kalachuri (Basavakalyan) suggest that the town was called "Sonnalage" which came to be pronounced as "Sonnalagi". A Sanskrit inscription dated Shake 1238, after the downfall of the Yadavas found at Kamati in Mohol shows that the town was known as Sonalipur. One of the inscriptions found in Solapur fort shows that the town was called Sonalpur. It was the main commercial hub of the Devagiri Yadavas and an important trading city. The town was known as Sonnalagi even up to the times of the Yadavas of Devagiri.
01.3 People The secret of the successful conversion of Solapur from a small town to a full-fledged commercial and tourist hub is nothing but the hard work of people here. Solapur inhabitants are generally warm, tolerant and extremely enduring. The multilingual, multi-culture, multi-art, multi-folklore, multiindustrial and multifaceted features of Solapur are a proof of it. The unique culture of Solapur taught people to coexist within themselves and the attitude of people brought prosperity to the city.
01.4 Culture Solapur is a city with multi-linguistic and multi-cultural features. Even though Solapur is a district in Maharashtra, it happens to be a gate way to other states, because it shares its boarders with two other neighbouring states; Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Hence Solapur has a mixture of Marathi and Kannada speakers. However Kannada is the Main Language to Communication and Official Language is Marathi.
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Surajmukhi wall hanging Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 12
02
wall hangings of solapur
02.1 History Wall hangings have been around since Ancient History, since well past 300 BC. Wall hangings or tapestry is a form of textile art, woven on a vertical loom and is as ancient a form as rug making. A fancy piece of art work that could be hung, taken down, rolled up, and moved to a different location. That made them extremely popular, more so than paintings. Kings and noblemen could roll up and transport tapestries from one residence to another. In churches, they could be displayed on special occasions. Tapestries were also draped on the walls of castles for insulation during winter, as well as for decorative display. Tapestries have been used since at least Hellenistic times. Greek tapestry has been found preserved in the desert of Tarim Basin dating from the 3rd century BC. Tapestry reached a new stage in Europe in the early fourteenth century AD. The first wave of production originated in Germany and Switzerland. Over time, the craft expanded to France and the Netherlands. Some Native American rugs are also types of tapestry work. In wall hangings, India is recognized as one of the most diverse nations in the world. The combination of diversity and skill has produced some of the most breath-taking creations. Indians have always been fond of adorning the walls of their home. Wall art that is not created directly on the wall, but that adorns the room in the form of wall hangings, also gained immense popularity.
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Artisan weaving the wall hanging
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02.2 The Weaving Community The development of Handloom Weaving in Solapur seems to have commenced in the regime of the Peshwas. Most of the weavers are from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Migration, it is commonly believed, aroused principally from the difficulty of finding adequate means of livelihood in one's native place as a result of over population, low wages, failure of crops or any other calamity etc. are the reasons for the migration of Padmashalis to Solapur. The handloom industry in Solapur was prosperous and wages were high, therefore large number of Padmashalis were settled in Solapur. The organisation of local handloom weaving industry remained fundamentally unaltered till the rise of the modem factory industry in India in the seventies of the 19th century. There were numerous small independent artisan weavers in the industry. Each artisan-house had one or two looms, which were worked by the head of the family. The family was the unit of work and the women and the children helped the weaver in preparatory processes and in some cases in dyeing also.
02.3 Dawn Of The Craft Wall hangings are the outcome of sheer hard work of artisans. They are made up of cotton threads woven on the handloom. They are essentially ornamented in nature and involves cutwork which it makes it unique in its own sense. It was initially started with designs made of gods and goddesses and now they have evolved with the changing time and suited according to customer needs. This art of weaving is nearly 50 years old finding its way in the shops and households and offices around the world. It was started by Mr Bhumaiya Padma who used to work in the weavers service center, it occurred to him that a whole bunch of threads could be woven to give a thick texture with embroidery done over it to enhance the effect. He left his job to work over this idea and the wall hanging craft of Solapur was born. Mr Bhumaiya Padma was the great grandfather of Santosh Bhai Soma who has carried on the legacy of making wall hanging craft and has kept it growing further. The designs made earlier were very basic and monochrome while now sceneries portraits and pictures can be easily converted into wall hangings due to his efforts. But the lack of sufficient pay has decreased the number of artisans working in this field by multifold. While 25 years ago there were around 200 people in this craft whereas now there are only around 60-70 artisans working on it.
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Raw material used in making of the wallhanging- yarn, wooden rod, bells
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02.4 Raw Materials YARN Yarn is the most important constituent of raw materials. Two different qualities of yarn are used for warp and weft. While the warp comprises of black cotton yarn of 15’s or 10’s. The count of yarn for warp is 5’s, 10’s, 15’s and count of weft is 12’s and 25’s . These yarns are obtained from Solapur itself . These hanks are cleaned, wetted and bleached before dyeing in the required colours. Zari, silk and jute yarns are also used at times according to the design of the wall hanging or customer requirement. DYES AND BLEACHING AGENTS Initially vegetables dyes were used but now chemical dyes, namely, Direct, Vat and Reactive dyes are used. The reason of this change being more convenient, more permanent and availability in a variety of shades. Dyes are also brought from Solapur. The cost these dyes are increasing at fast rate and now with greater availability in market the weavers have good options on what to choose. Approximately 100 kgs of yarn is dyed in a day. PATTI (WOODEN RODS) These are used in the beginning and end of the hanging for support as well as to embellish the wall hanging. They are inserted between the wall hanging at the time of weaving. The wood rods are made out of Sagwan wood and Teak wood, also called Lemon wood. These woods being light weight , soft and less prone to termites, hence they are preferred. EMBELLISHMENTS Lastly bells, wooden beads, shells and mirrors are also added as a final setup in beautifying the wall hanging hence rendering it complete. Earlier the bells used were made of pure brass which would not rust and gave a very elegant look to the finished product. They were locally obtained at Rs 2 each earlier and Rs 10 each now. Due to this price surge, the artisans have started using Iron bells which tend to rust but are cheaper in price, i.e., 20p each.
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Shuttle, used to insert weft while weaving
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02.5 Tools SHUTTLE w].6 The flying shuttle was one of the key developments in the industrialization of weaving during the early Industrial Revolution. It allowed a single weaver to weave much wider fabrics KNIFE r.s[ A small knife which is attached to the loom with a string to make it handy for the weaver to cut the threads BOBBIN ltlNn The cylindrical structure onto which the thread in wound and then inserted into the flying shuttle
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Artisan weaving the wallhanging Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 20
02.6 The Loom The looms used in weaving is a simple throw shuttle frame loom . Since the only weave used is plain weave, no special attachment is required for the loom, it consist of two shafts which are operated by the weaver through peddles at the base of the loom. It also has a wooden bench attached to it where the weaver can sit. The looms used today have been the same since the start of the craft in the year 1972. The length of the black warp which is wound around the warp beam is decided based on the number of wall-hangings to be produced. The weft by which pattern and textures is created is passed by hand, Is wound into reels which is attached to the loom above the healed shaft. As and when the weft of a specific colour is required 8- 10 strands are pulled pout and passed through the warp. However when a single weft yarn needs to be passed a shuttle is used. Making the loom the house of the weaver having hand held accessibility to all the tools and materials.
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Naksha, design paper
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Pretreatment process of yarn
02.7 Process It starts with the visualization of design
02.7.1 pre loom process MAKING OF NAKSHA The first step involved in the process of making Solapur wall-hanging is making of the design on a design paper which is called Naksha. Design paper is a starched cotton cloth or canvas which has graph like The designs are drawn in exact proportion as the wall hanging.For detailed figure work wallhangings, the design paper are made in exact colors. The design paper is placed under warp and the weaver can see the design under the warp and weave accordingly. The design paper can be reused. It is made according to the customer. PROCUREMENT OF RAW MATERIALS Procured from local markets, the base Raw Materials required is dyed cotton yarn and wooden rods. Dyed yarns are procured in bulk from the local market and wooden rods from furniture mills or from fallen trees which is then reshaped. DYEING PROCESS Dyeing of yarn hanks can be done in two ways i.e. the tradition way or the contemporary way. Contemporary Method The first step involved in the modern process of dyeing is Scouring . In this process natural impurities like wax , oil and gum as well as added impurities are removed to make the fibre hydrophillic in nature. This is followed by sodium hypochlorite bleach or hydrogen peroxide bleach which is used to obtain light coloured fibre shade. This process is carried out for an hour. The next process in line is Antichlore treatment which is done only for sodium hypochlorite bleach to remove the traces of chlorine. The commonly used brand is Rozarica’s green which is used with acetic acid. After all these pre-treatments the fibres are passed through an hydro extractor to drain out the excess water. Further more it is kept in open air for complete drying. After the fibres are pre treated they are dyed using reactive dyes. The yarns are then washed with hot or cold water , 2-3 times. After this the soaping process is carried out to fix the colour and get rid of any excess colour. Futhermore the yarns are again washed with hot or cold water. To drain away the excess water the yarn are passed thriough an hydro extractor.
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Yarn hanks drying after dyeing
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Traditional Method Wetting The first step involved in the process of traditional dyeing is wetting. The yarn hanks are put in the water bath and soaked for a day, Then it is put on sticks to drain out the excess water. Bleaching This is followed by bleaching of the grey yarns by hypo-Chloride bleaching. The yarns are dipped in a tank containing bleaching agent and water which again takes over a day and after this process the hanks are rinsed in water and left for drying Dyeing For the process of dyeing either direct, reactive hot brand or vat dyes are used. For direct dye along with the dye Soda ash, salt and fixer are added to the dyeing tub. The hanks are placed onto wooden sticks and are rotated continuously for even dyeing. Hanks are kept in the dye bath for 15 to 20 minutes. Then the hanks are dipped in side the water to fix and remove excess dye. The dyed yarns are then dried in open space under sunlight. WARPING The warping is done with the black coloured yarns. Hundred meter of yarn is warped at a time or it depends upon the number of wall hangings to be made. No sizing material is added to the yarn because later it cannot be washed and making it prone to bugs or mites attack. PLYING AND WINDING The number of yarns are plied depends to the width of the wall hanging. Example- 14� warp, 13 plied yarn is used. The weft required is wound onto the bobbins making it easier to use.
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Artisan spinning the yarn
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02.7.2 on loom process First an inch or two of plain weave is woven after which a wooden rod is inserted. This is followed by a small length of plain weave after which the weft is changed. One pick comprises of 13/14 strands of yarn. The weave now used is an imitation of the tapestry weave. Every pick usually comprises of more than one colour. The coloured pick is taken through the warp shed and at the point where the colour changes first colour threads interlock with the second. This way the weaver completes the pick, after which the beating up of the operation is performed. In the next pick the weaver weaves in the opposite direction from the left to the right interlocking wherever the colour changes. To get a more raised effect when desired, extra warp is used. Once the base weft been passed, two to three strands of extra weft of the desired colours are used to do embroidery or embossing effect on the wall hangings. The knotting begins from the right side. The weft yarn encircle every warp end, of the raised warp. The same way they come back to where they started in the reverse direction as the extra weft encircles itself only around the raised warp ends, the texture which formed is seen only on the right side of the hanging. The base weft is visible on the wrong side.
02.7.3 post loom process Once the weaving is complete, the wall hanging is taken off. The finish is done by cutting the extra warp threads to create empty spaces. These warp threads are then sewn into the reversible side to seal the edges. The uneven wooden rods are cut to size. Metal bells, cowries, mirrors are given to add ornamentation, whenever required. Thread is attached to the top for hangings. These wall hangings are tied up separately and are wrapped in papers. After this they are packed in cartoons and ready for export and sale.
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Shubnam bags
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Curtains
Wallhanging
Jackets
02.8 Product Range Solapur wall hangings is a district variety of wall hanging craft that cannot be found in any other parts of India. But the constraint of this craft being used only as wall hangings has now been removed. These have always been used for decorative purpose in different sizes varying from 6” to 44”, with 14” and 18” as the most in-demand sizes. Now, utility has been introduced in the products as well. Bags, holders, mats, jackets, cushion covers, letterbox etc are being made. Life size portraits are crafted by master artisans. Shabnam bags were introduced, torans for decorating the doors, curtains etc. are made. Personalised orders are also entertained now.
02.9 Motifs The Artisans start their weaving journeys with simple motifs like flowers, basic shapes, animals etc. As they start mastering the craft, weaving complicated and intricate designs without the help of a naksha also becomes possible. Traditionally motifs derived from the surroundings, Rangolis, Gods and Goddesses are made. Ganesh, sun, Laxmi’s foot, Saraswathi , elephants, swastika, shree, om motifs are very famous. Even geometrical motifs such as y shaped motifs and rhombus was used. Worli motifs are quite popular as well. Contemporized designs by making random color patches similar is very popular and has a great demand especially among the youth. While contemporizing is not something most artisans would do by choice, but it is something that has been in trend in the market.
02.10 Colour Palette The traditional color palette has simple earthy shades and primary colors such as red blue yellow, mostly the colors pertained to that of a sunrise or sunset, shades of orang, red and yellow were used. But a variety of shades are currently being used in making Solapur wall hangings such as pastel shades and neon bright colors. Despite the changing colors of the weft with time, the color of the warp has remained constant, that is black, as it makes the weft look bright and lively against the black backdrop of the warp, the weavers persist on the fact that changing the color of the warp might compromise with the originality of the craft.
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Material used for spinning Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 30
02.11 Market Survey Solapuri wall hanging artisans sell their craft in three main market areas local, international, e-commerce Solapur wall hanging began in 1970’s. It became a very popular craft and had a good market in Solapur and other cities in Maharashtra. The demand of Solapur wall-hangings was not just Restricted to Maharashtra, it was pouring in from across the nation be it Delhi , Karnataka. It was also exported to countries like Japan, Sri Lanka, Australia and the US. The wall-hanging was at the peak of its Popularity when it was being exported to Osaka- Japan at the world Trade centre in the mid 1980’s to 1994. There was rapid decline in the export of the wall-hanging as the base of the world trade centre shifted from Osaka due to natural calamities to Dubai. The Export to the world trade centre had a completely stopped by the year 2006. The Decline was also due to the shift of skilled labour in other sectors and low market demand. Majority of the unit owners did not have nay direct contact with the costumer so they did not know their preferences. The demand was also low as it is a decorative product not a utility product as Solapuri Chaddar, Towel or saree. Nowadays the Merchandisers are making smaller and more colourful wall-hangings to be exported. Some artisans also have direct contact with the consumers for orders. They also exhibit these beautiful wall hangings in exhibitions, government emporiums, chained outlets like The Bombay Store, Out of India Etc. and also sell at airports like the Sahara International. To Increase the sales of the wall hangings some artisans have ventured into online market. This platform has not provided the much needed break through yet. But these products are sold on sites like amazon, wishvilla etc.
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Portraits made out of wallhanging making technique
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02.12 Evolution Solapur wall hanging is evolving at its own pace. It all started in 1970’s. Wall-hanging started with monochromatic colour schemes and designs inspired from natural phenomenon like sunrise, sunset, rainbow etc. with the passage of time weavers experimented with colours, design. They got inspired by famous paintings etc. Now a days internet plays an important role, weavers get to know about various trends, trending colours like one of included pastel shades in their designs. Design and aesthetics are vital part of Solapur wall-hangings. Earlier simple designs and motifs were made. As time passed, weavers acquired skills and more complex designs and motif are being made. With experience some highly skilled weavers can weave portraits , still live paintings etc. In terms of tools and machineries there has been no significant changes. Looms that were used in past years are still used. Over the years minute changes can be observed in weaving techniques like bushing technique cannot be seen in the wall-hangings now. Other than cutwork one can find embossing, interlocking, piled up warp patterns etc. Significant changes can be seen in usage of raw materials, earlier only cotton threads were used. Now the wallhangings are made with wool, silk, zari threads etc. chemical dyes replaced natural dyes. Experimentation with white yarn for warp is also done. The wall-hanging industry experienced a major loss when the export to Osaka and Kobe stopped and shifted to Dubai. Due to decline in the demand there is a shift of laborers and now only a handful artisans are practising this craft. The succeeding generation is also not interested in practicing this craft. For more revenue artisans are experimenting with products such as cushions, Shabnam bags, table Lenin, jackets etc. For the products to reach the wider audience artisans have ventured into online marketing
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Contemporisation can be based on design / motifs technique colour raw material end product
Our focus design end product
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03
project brief
PRODUCT
Client
Why?
Cost
Design
Market
Material
Forecasting
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Exploration 01 - Organisers
Organiser
Exploration 02 - Planters
Planter Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 36
Self organiser
Wall organiser
Exploration 03 - Curtains / Drapes
Curtains
Drapes
ORGANISERS
04
product
A set of seven organisers made of the same material of the craft with different aesthetic sense and a casing of any waterproof material. This idea will provide a more regular income assurance. Status - Discarded. Problem - Costing of each item does not fit the budget and it is a common idea.
PLANTERS With the growing sense of sustainability and also for aesthetic purposes, people have started keeping a lot of indoor and outdoor plants in jute planters refraining themselves from plastic use. Hence these planters could sell well in the metropolitan areas. Status - Discarded. Problem - Too many competitive products alreadt exist and is a common idea. CURATINS / DRAPES A set of curtains or drapes with a plain base and tiny motifs as embellishments all over stitched onto the base as shown in the reference image. Status - Discarded. Problem - The number of elements and the sizes which could require to be very small and is not practically possible for the weaver to weave.
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Exploration 04 - Board Games
Exploration 05 - Art Installation from Everyday Objects
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BOARD GAMES A set of indoor board games like playing cards, dartbards with darts and puzzles with aesthetics of famous paintings and personalities and art forms to make it more informative and also to showcase the array of fineness of the craft as practised by the artisans. Status - Discarded. Problem - The number of elements and the sizes which could require to be very small and is not practically possible for the weaver to weave.
ART INSTALLATIONS FROM EVERYDAY OBJECTS A set of seven everyday objects like old broken irons, broken furniture etc. turned into art installations for museum display with aesthetics of famous paintings and personalities and art forms to make it more informative and also to showcase the array of fineness of the craft as practised by the artisans. Status - Discarded. Problem - These kind of objects are bulky and hard to store. also, they are not beneficial for the artisan as these will be only a one-time production with no sale guarantee.
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Exploration 06 - Textile Art Installations for Commercial Spaces
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TEXTILE ART INSTALLATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL SPACES A set of elements depending on a theme or a concept, all of which put together makes a beautiful composition and gives better value to the piece of art with very realistic aesthetic sense. This artwork can be sold in parts as individual elements, if needed or can be sold as the entire composition which conveys a message. This helps the weavers in displaying their true skills to the world and also earning out of it well as they could be large projects. Aiport | Restaurant | Hotel First row of images show how textile installations are displayed in Airports, the second row shows Restaurants and the third row is about art in Hotels. Status - Selected. The concept behind the installation is how beautifully we can describe any thing if all it’s parts come togther, we celebrate togetherness and unity in diversity with this art installation. Traditionally the term art was used to refer to any skill or mastery, a concept which altered during the Romantic period of the nineteenth century, when art came to be seen as “a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science”. This distinction between craft and fine art is applied to the textile arts as well, where the term fiber art or textile art is now used to describe textile-based decorative objects which are not intended for practical use.
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Client Persona 01 | Airport | NAVI MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Airport type - Public Owner - MIAL (74%) | CIDCO (26%) Operator - Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) Serves - Navi Mumbai, Mumbai
ABOUT THE AIRPORT Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is an under construction greenfield international airport being built at Ulwe Kopar-Panvel in Maharashtra, India. It will be the second International Airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, functioning alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSIA) as India’s first urban multi-airport system.The first phase of the airport will be able to handle 20 million passengers per annum.The airport will be expanded to its final capacity to handle more than 90 million passengers per annum. Texas-based Jacobs Engineering Group will chart the final masterplan for the airport,while the airport passenger terminal and Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower will be designed by London-based Zaha Hadid Architects. Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 42
Location - Ulwe, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
05
client
Based on our selection of product, which is Textile Art Installtions for Commercial Spaces, we created a client persona for each potential commercial space we have chosen, i.e. Airport, Horel and Restaurant. These art pieces are collected by curators hired by these commercial organisations for the same sole purpose. Art Installations in Airports, Hotels and Restaurants Over time, these commercial spaces witness millions of journeys. But there will always be one that precedes them all—through a canvas that captures the creative output of a hundred artists and artisans. Disparate murals, paintings, pottery and sculptures are unleashed without the restraint of frames and the divisive hierarchy of high art and low art, but united by an aesthetic that is unabashedly India. The very construct of an airport makes it easily susceptible to becoming a wasteland, a no-man’s land that engenders no feeling of ownership or belonging, where people are reduced to zombie cattle-like movement. Where time elapsed is measured in steps taken from entry to exit. Art in the arrivals corridors destroys this apathy through movement. The section, says Rajiv Sethi, the art curator for Mumbai Airport Terminal 2, is determined by the morphology of the building itself where travellators get very close to the wall.
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Client Persona 02 | Hotel | GRAND HYATT MUMBAI ABOUT THE HOTEL Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotel & Residences is a city resort spread across 12 acres of greenery in the Santacruz/ Kalina area of Mumbai. Located between the business district of Bandra Kurla Complex and Mumbai Aairport, the hotel offers the both convenience you require from luxury hotels. and luxury. Experience extraordinary moments of more at this hotel in Mumbai with multiple signature dining options, extensive leisure facilities, meeting rooms for business travellers, an international shopping plaza, anda & a host of rejuvenating and recreational facilities. Hotel chain - Hyatt Hotels Corporation Location - Mumbai, India Address - Off Western Express Highway, Santacruz (East), Mumbai - 400055, India Opening - 2004 Owner - Juniper Hotels Private Limited Management - Hyatt Hotels Corporation Floor count - 6 Architect - Lohan Associates, Chicago Number of rooms - 547 Number of suites - 39
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STYLE - handcrafted yet high precision engineered art and craft installations - ancient sentinels - The art refracts the mythological and everyday life of the metropolis through a contemporary prism - re-interpreting the sacred and the profane, resonating with the timeless and the ephemeral.
Client Persona 03 | Restaurant | ZIYA, THE OBEROI Location - The Oberoi, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021, India Type - Public limited company Industry - Hospitality Founded - 1934; 85 years ago Founder - Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi Headquarters - Delhi, India Number of locations - 33 (2017) Area served - Worldwide Products - Restaurants Parent - EIH Limited
ABOUT THE RESTAURANT
STYLE
Ziya, the Oberoi Hotel’s signature restaurant is the specialist modern Indian restaurant. Under the direction of two-Michelin-starred Chef Vineet Bhatia, the restaurant presents an innovative evolution of traditional Indian cuisine. Chef Bhatia, considered by many as Britain’s most talented Indian chef, is renowned for breaking boundaries in the combination of ingredients and for his creative style of presentation. It has elegantly furnished surroundings and the ‘light and imaginative’ dishes of one of the masters of Indian cuisine.
- innovation and time-honoured tradition - creative style of presentation - elegantly furnished surroundings - smooth, clean gin with a refined flavour - creative and aesthetic forms.
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1.
Rajiv Sethi
Rajeev Sethi is South Asia’s leading designer and is noted internationally for his innovative contribution to preserving and celebrating the subcontinent’s rich cultural heritage. For more than 35 years, through his work in design and architecture, performances and festivals, exhibitions and publication, policy and program, he has identified ways to bring contemporary relevance to traditional skills of vulnerable artisan communities and creative professionals. Mr. Sethi has moved effortlessly from one discipline to another with his consistent vision for cross cultural and intermedial curatorial and scenographic practices creating some of the most memorable artistic endeavors setting world standards.
2.
Priyanka and Prateek Raja
Co-founders, Experimenter, Kolkata Every year, the Curators’ Hub at the Experimenter gallery in Kolkata invites 10 curators to talk about how they design exhibitions—how they finalize themes, and select artists and works. For the general public, the three-day event is a way of getting into the head of the curator. In its fifth year, in 2015, Jitish Kallat, Aleksandra Kedziorek, associate curator and project coordinator at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Poland, and Hoor Al-Qasimi, president and director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, were among the participants.
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3.
Sree Goswami
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curator
Gallerist, Project 88, Mumbai Sree Goswami started Project 88 as a viewing room for Galerie 88, a Kolkata-based gallery run by her mother Supriya Banerjee. The viewing room was located in Mumbai’s tony Apollo Bunder area from 2003-05. That is how, says Goswami, she got the confidence to run a gallery, although she had grown up immersed in Kolkata’s art world. Galerie 88 began in 1988, at a time when Indian contemporary art was gaining prominence in both price, and renown. It showcased artists such as Bikash Bhattacharjee, F.N Souza, Ganesh Pyne and Amina Ahmed Kar.
4.
Pooja Sood
Director, Khoj International Artists’ Association, New Delhi When we started in 1997, we felt our third-world status,” says Pooja Sood, director, Khoj International Artists’ Association in Khirki Extension, New Delhi. “There was painting, sculpture, and maybe graphics (on the art scene),” she explains. Khoj was started as an art incubator by artists Subodh Gupta, Bharti Kher, Anita Dube, Prithpal Singh Ladi, Manisha Parekh, Ajay Desai and curator Pooja Sood, as a space where contemporary artists would be given “a budget to test their ideas”.
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5.
Weta Workshop
Miramar, New Zealand special effects and prop company Weta Workshop built an incredible 2,645-pound, 9.8 foot-high, 43-foot-long sculpture of middle-earth character Gollum to celebrate The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (upcoming Peter Jackson film) and constructed it in only three nights time (completed on Thursday, October 25, 2012) at the Wellington International Airport in New Zealand. The Weta Workshop built scene, which is suspended from the ceiling and hovering over diners in the main airport lounge, displays Gollum as he hungrily grabs at four sculpted ‘juicy sweet fishes’ (also created by Weta Workshop) that are hanging in front of him. You can check out the impressive build process in the making-of video below. We have previously written about Weta Workshop and their creative work.
6. ART+COM In the course of refurbishment works ART+COM was commissioned to create a signature art installation for the Departure-Check-in hall of Terminal 1 at Singapore Airport. “Kinetic Rain” is composed of two parts, each consisting of 608 rain droplets made of lightweight aluminum covered with copper. Suspended from thin steel ropes above the two opposing escalators, each droplet is moved precisely and seemingly floating by a computer-controlled motor hidden in the halls ceiling. The drops follow a 15-minute, computationally designed choreography where the two parts move together in unison, sometimes mirroring, sometimes complementing, and sometimes responding to each other.
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7.
Ayush Kasliwal Design Private ltd. Or AKDPL
The ‘Hands Sculpture” is the one thing that dominates the visual experience for anyone arriving through Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. A series of nine hands forming various mudras or hand gestures, stand out from a wall mounted with copper discs. Mudras are an intrinsic part of Indian culture, used in religion, yoga and various dance forms. The fiber glass resin hands weigh about 150 kgs each and have been modelled according to ‘Chola’ sculptures. In addition, the 675 copper coated discs mounted on the wall are made with spun aluminum.
8.
Artist Stefan Lindfors
Concorde belongs to Finavia’s art collection, making it part of Finavia’s Art Port concept that aims at offering passengers new and surprising services. Airport experiences are a great way of standing out among other possible international transfer airports. Art also has a positive effect on passengers’ satisfaction, which is why it also forms a part of developing Finavia’s customer experience. Lindfors has also designed another sculpture located at Helsinki Airport, Skydreamer.Born in Mariehamn in 1962, Lindfors is known in Finland and abroad for his diverse work in the fields of art and design. Lindfors has also designed the impressive Aviator Solaris artwork at Vaasa Airport.
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9. OR PROJECT Orproject, an architecture and design practice with a presence in Beijing, London and New Delhi is reputed for its experimentation with geometric lines. The team, including project architect Rajat Sodhi, has conceptualized Lehar as an unobtrusive, yet commanding entity that captures and creates multiple reflections and refractions of light that translates as a decomposition of sunlight into colours of 21st century India. Constructed from 2mm-thick cast acrylic panels, which have been laser-cut into sheets and coated with dichroic film, the 750 sq. ft. Lehar hangs 2 ft below a 10 ft.low plasterboard false ceiling, suspended securely on custom L-shaped aluminium plates that are screw-bolted into the plasterboard substrate.
10. Bespoke textile art This specific artwork “KRAM� by Songphao, Bangkok textile artist and designer is a bespoke Thai Silk Textile art Installation for a luxury hotel lobby in Seoul. The art commission developed by the artist contains a unusual technique of Sculptured Thailand Mudmee Silk, Native to Krabi, Songphao developed his technique to sculpt traditional textile into contemporary installation. A complicated process which took over 70 days - considering the scale over 550x280cm.
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11. John Lewis John Lewis Home Vision project that we have been commissioned to design and produce for them (there are 3 projects in total) who knew upholstery fabric and trimmings could be crafted into such delicate and fun objects (to be honest we are now a tiny bit obsessed about what we can make next) if you are in the Manchester area, pop into the Cheadle branch, you can’t miss them, they are situated in front of the home furnishings department hanging over a collection of mirror podiums so you can see all of the hand crafted work in the reflections.
12. Miguel Rothschild Berlin-based Argentinian artist Miguel Rothschild’s latest installation art captures the often stormy nature of the ocean and sky. Taking inspiration from poetry and biblical references, his installations titled Elegy and De Profundis are made by suspending large reams of printed fabric with transparent fishing wire. Both pieces cleverly play on perception, appearing as both the ocean or the sky, depending on the viewer’s position. Elegy—named after a poem by Jorge Luis Borges—presents a strong sense of world-weariness. From the front, the dark blue ocean of fabric appears as though it’s about to crash over the viewer, with the fishing wire—weighed down by lead balls— app;earing as heavy lashes of rain. From the back, the fabric transforms into a stormy gray cloud, where a model of a wet dog can be seen underneath it, curled up to keep warm. Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 51
8.]/
DOR | 8.]/
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brand
Commercial spaces like Airports, Hotels and Restaurants do not directly approach artisans and artists for the curation of art for their spaces, instead they hire art curators to do the same for them according to their aesthetic and briefing. These curators are the main person for the selection of any piece of art if it fits the criteria and can be bought for display. Hence we chose our artisans as our brand and to make it easier for wall hanging weavers of Solapur and also to make them more approachable, we introduce “Dor”.
“Dor”, which means threads in Hindi and Marathi, is the idea of an organ-
isation for all the wall hanging weavers of Solapur that we would like to suggest for them to contact curators to apply for displays to be sold and also be approached at by curators officially. It can be a organisation which become their identity in the commercial world of art and help them get orders of such large scale witha world wide audience to view and appreciate which also in return helps with more publicity and knowledge of the craft in the common public, thus, helping the craft to rise from a decline and have active buyers all over the world.
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Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 54
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theme
What’s in a name While yet another tree kneels over as Mumbai’s march towards a Metro project begins, an oft-forgotten reality is the curious mix of flora that have inspired the names of the city’s streets and squares. Old Marathi documents and statements of early European writers point to the time when Raja Bhimdev, the 12th century Solanki ruler, set up his capital in Mahikawati (Mahim) and introduced fruit-bearing vegetation to his kingdom and Kolis, the earliest inhabitants of the seven islands who worshipped plants, gave their local nomenclature to wherever they sprouted. WORLI - Marathi word ‘vad’ or the banyan tree PAREL - Trumpet flowers, Patal in Sanskrit and called Padel by the Kolis CHINCHPOKHLI - ‘Chinch’ (tamarind) trees WADALA - Banyan trees termed ‘vad’ TAMARIND LANE - tamarind tree LABURNUM ROAD - Amaltas tree also called the Indian Laburnum BHENDI BAZAAR - Bhendi tree, commonly the Indian tulip tree FANAS WADI - ‘Fanas’ is Marathi for jackfruit CUMBALLA HILL - kambal, or kamal, lotus groves UMARKHADI - fig trees TARDEO - Previously called Taddev, palmera palm or ‘tad’ groves ANJIRWADI - Fig trees AMBEWADI - Mango trees BHAYKALA (BYCULLA) - Bhaya or Indian laburnum ASHOKA TREE ROAD - Ashoka trees
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As the essence of Mumbai lies in its culture, its people and its history. Through this theme, we want to portray all things that describes Mumbai the best and make it into a signature composition which is its identity. Design - Elements to be used for the composition are like vada pav, kali peeli, Macchi wali tai, Chai wale bhaiyya, a view inside the local train, the double-decker buses, the local railway line map. the ocean, is the essence of the dream city with its chaiwalas, dabbawalas, ganapati celebration, the architecture, the beautiful accessories, the lip-smacking snacks and nothing else describes the city better than these. Colour - The colours have not been contemporarised keeping them as real as possible like it is originally used for landscpaes and Still life by the artisans in only warm tones with hints of green and blue to create balance.
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Local Train Signage
Kabutar
Vada Pav
Ganpati Bappa
Map of local train route for background
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Autorickshaw
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sketches INITIAL CONCEPTS Techniques used Hand-drawn Digitalised Digitally Drawn
Moushi selling Machhi
Ganpati Bappa
Local train travel
Dabbawala
Chai Vendor
Pencil Photoshop Illustrator Indesign
Chai Vendor
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The Bombay Streamer / Ferry
CST Station Clocks
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Iconic Bombay Autoriskshaw
Bhel Puri
The Great Shivaji Maharaj on the Kala Ghoda
Dabbawala
Lavani Dhol Tasha
The Double Decker Buses
Accessories of the women
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Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 62
FINAL CONCEPTS Techniques used Hand-drawn Digitalised Digitally Drawn Pencil Photoshop Illustrator Indesign
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Amaltas - Indian Laburnam
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Ambe - Mango Tree
Palm Banana Tree
Champa Tree
Kamal - Lotus Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 65
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the composition
डोर वृ क ् ष ने दी है सबको छाया मु ं ब ई नगरी की भी यही है माया काटना चाहा पर कटा नहीं झु क ना चाहा पर चू क ा नहीं
पाला है सभी को, आसरा दिया है सभी को जड़े है गहरी, सर है ऊं च ा सपनो की नगरी है अभिमान हमारा सितारों की चमक है , लहरों की झलक है ऊं च ी इमारतो मे सफलता की भनक है रे ल मे बसी एक अतरं ग ी दु न िया है अश् त ित् व ा की खोज मे निकला हर इं स ान है हर उत् स व के शोर मे हु ई एक नयी भोर है हु न र के धागो से बं ध ी ये डोर है
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कला की डोर || ४३
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NOTE The designed installation is a page torn from an old poetry book with this poem called “dor� describing Mumbai and its essence. It is to show how in old times, parts of Bombay were named after nature, trees and plants. Now the same places do not bear the essence of their names with the advancement of mankind and development of society. The message we want to portray through our piece can be described in one word, Sustainability. Lest, it will not be late for us to appear on the red line also. It is to be displayed in large commercial spaces as that’s where the message can reach the largest audience.
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THE ELEMENTS OF ESSENCE OF MUMBAI As we describe the negative impact of Mumbai losing the sustenance of nature, what has still been sustained is the essence of the dream city with its chaiwalas, dabbawalas, ganapati celebration, the architecture, the beautiful accessories, the lip-smacking snacks and nothing else describes the city better than these.
THE NOMENCLATURE Did you know that most roads and places in Mumbai are named after trees? we researched into it and would like to let the world know how cities can also be very nature-friendly.
THE BACKGROUND The gradation of the shades of chrome yellow to beige in the background depicts how the beauty of the nomenclature of these places is now dimishing as they no more bear the trees they were named after. Yellow is a colour that grabs the most attention and this matter of sustaining our nature and history is of utter importance. Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 69
Member of team Dor Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 70
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Name - Shrinivas Jindam Age - 59 years Gender - Male Designation - Master craftsman Work Experience - 43 years
Artisan profile
Name- Vijaylaxmi Shrinivas Jindam Age - 42 years Gender - Female Qualification - 10th pass Designation - Weaver Work Experience - 30 years
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pre loom process Interaction
The process of production started in Solapur with interaction between the artisans and us as we explained to the them our design and the specifications where they also gave us insight on what is possible and what will be better looking.
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Material and process work
12 Swatching
process work
As our designs were ready on paper, the next step was to make swatches of all the colours as per the design and stick them to the prinouts in their respective places.
Colour matching
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Winding and Plying
After we sorted our colours, 4s yarn for the weft and 30s double yarn was wound onto tin cones for plying purposes. The 4s yarn was then plied 18 times for the background to be woven and plied 4 and 3 times for the embroidery on the wall hanging.
Spinning process Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 74
Weaving
on loom process
The weaving process starts with placing the naksha on an attachment placed right below the warp. First a patch of plain weave with done woth double ply 4s yarn, same colour as the warp, for strength and later to hold the patti (the wooden rod). Then the background is woven and as per the design on the naksha, the embroidery of the of the same is done using the yemardi technique with the edges locked with the yarn of the background using the batan technique.
Making process
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post loom process Finishing
After removing the wall hanging from the loom, the extra threads are neatly cut to give it a finished look. The edges are folded and stitched using anchor thread. Wooden sticks are inserted at the top and the bottom folds to provide weight.
Finishing of the product
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Embroidery
The poem is traced using khaka and is machine embroidered onto the wall hanging. The page no. at the edge is hand embroidered using anchor threads. The raw threads are neatly removed to give a finished look.
Artisan weaving with help of naksha Kala Ki Dor | Craft Design Project | 77
13 SIZE - 7 x 3 feet • Background - 7 x 3 ft • Poem - 3.33 x 1.8 ft • Composition - 2 x 3 ft • Each element - 7-3 x 3-5 ft WARP YARN - 30s, Black WEFT YARN - 4s, Shades from yellow ochre to beige in 5 layers, Grey (2 shades), Green (4 shades), White, Yellow, Black, Blue, Red (2 shades) • Background - 18 ply • Embroidery - 3 and 4 ply EMBELLISHMENT • Hand and Machine embroidery, Black • Hand painting, Gold and black COSTING • Making of Elements - Rs 2000 • Making of Backgrounds(3) - Rs 7000 • Embroidery - Rs 3500 • Embellishments - Rs 200 • Stitching - Rs 500 • Markup - 300% = Rs 39600 • GST - 18% = Rs 9504 Total = Rs 62304
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final product
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our experience
“The project was a perfect balance of craft and design which successfully combined an artisan’s skill and a designer’s creativity. It was a platform to portray our skills like time management, team work, problem solving capabilities etc. The artisans made us feel like home with their warm and welcoming gestures. Working on this project was such a beautiful experience which we’ll cherish. Apart from this we made so many memories which we’ll treasure for lifetime. “ - Team dor
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12 Loom - an apparatus for making fabric by weaving yarn or thread. Tapestry - a piece textile fabric formed by weaving coloured weft threads or by embroidering on canvas, used as a wall hanging or soft furnishing. Hand loom - a manually operated loom Monochrome - developed in black and white or in varying tones of only one colour. Hellenistic time - culture from the death of Alexander the Great to the defeat of Cleopatra and Mark Antony by Octavian in 31 BC. Zari - a type of gold thread used decoratively on Indian clothing. Shuttle - a bobbin with two pointed ends used for carrying the weft thread across between the warp threads in weaving. Bobbin - a cylinder or cone holding thread, yarn, or wire, used especially in weaving and machine sewing Half shaft - it is a part related to shedding mechanism ,which carries the healed wires, through which the waft passes. Design Paper - The design of the Wall-hanging is first drawn on the graph paper. Warp - the threads which are held in a frame or loom while another thread is passed across through them. Weft - the cross wise threads on a loom that are passed over and under the warp thread to make a cloth. Scouring - to remove dirt r unwanted matter from a surface. Bleaching - to clean or sterilize with a bleach . Warping - to arrange strands of yarn or threads lengthwise onto ( a loom ) Cut work - A technique that features design with space cut Dhota - shuttle Vaisath - heald eye Phuni - reed Pheek- weft Bathan - locking technique Yemradi - technique of adding extra thread on the surface of the wall hanging
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glossary