TEXTILE DESIGN PO RTFO LIO Kanishtha Kujur National Institute of Design 2019
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ABOUT ME
Born and brought up in Ranchi, Jharkhand, I am currently pursueing Bachelors in Textile Design from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
Textile has been my medium of not just expressing myself, but also to find myself. This is one of the reasons for my affinity for textiles. It has a value far greater than what one sees on surface. I am fascinated by the relationship humans build with the textiles around them. My interests lie in crafts, research and material explorations.
Keep in touch through: kanishtha.k@nid.edu kanishtha08@gmail.com +919140562805
2016- Present
2013-15 2002-2013
EDUCATION
SKILLS
National Institute of Design Ahmedabad, India Bachelors of Design
Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign NedGraphics for Prints and Jacquard
DAV Public School Gandhinagar Ranchi, India Loreto Convent School Ranchi, India EXPERIENCE
May-June 2019
Design Intern Welspun India Ltd. Developing prints for area rugs.
Oct 2018
Field research and craft documentation of the tribal weavers of Jharkhand.
May-July 2016
Research Associate for Project Information and Communication Technology for Development Hugh Downs School of Human Communication Arizona State University Involved in the ideation and creation of GUIs.
Sketching and Rendering Weaving Dyeing Printing Sewing Surface Developement Research
INTERESTS Travelling to different realms through books and movies, gouging on local food from the said realms and capturing these moments through photography and note keeping.
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RESIST DYEING As a part of a Design Workshop course, I learnt dyeing techniques such as Miura, Nui, Arashi, Itajime and Katano Shibori using dyes like direct dyes and Indigo vat. In an attempt to explore the possibilities of the Arashi technique, I combined it with a series of folds on the cloth that enabled me to get multidirectional lines on the fabric.
Fabric: Cotton (Mal) Dye: Direct Black dye Dimernsion: 1mt x 1mt This composition is a representation of the mind with evil lurking in its corners, waiting to attack the unaware in midst of a choas. The distinct lines of Arashi are obtained here through discharging the color on a pre-dyed cloth. The resultant is a visually strong piece with a balance between the white lines and the black squares.
Arashi trials on different materials with different compositions, understanding the balance between perfection and the beauty of imperfection. Left Fabric: Cotton (Heavy weight muslin) Dye: Indigo Vat Dimension: 1ft x 2ft RIght Fabric: Organdi Dye: Indigo Vat Dimension: 0.5mt x 0.5mt
A second art piece to show the balance between light and dark in the world; the light piercing through difficult times in the form of hope. The resultant of numerous folds as well, this piece was dyed in black to get the Arashi lines. A difficult part of this piece was to get the dye penetrate through the numerous layers of the fabric while maintaining the straight lines of Arashi. Fabric: Cotton (Mal) Dye: Direct Black dye Dimension: 1mt x 2mt
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WEAVING
A hands on approach to learn various weave structures on a 12 shaft table loom and 24 shaft dobby loom. While weaving the concept based samples, I learnt the importance of the balance between weave structures and material.
While exploring color and weave technique, I tried to bring out the beauty of the undyed shades of wool by changing the order of the weft. Warp: Desi wool of two shades Weft: Desi wool of two shades, cotton Structure: Color and weave, Bedford cord
An attempt to achieve 2.5 or 3 dimensionality in woven samples. The following sample is a result of combining yarns of different physical and chemical properties. Material: Wool, polyester in weft and warp Structure: Double cloth, back cloth
Experimentation with multiple layered cloth where each layer has a different yarn forming the weft, giving a combination of textures on surface. Due to the use of elastic yarn in one of the layers, and the open weave structure, the resultant sample shrunk to less that it’s half of the on loom width. MaterialWarp: Wool, polyester Weft: Silk, cotton, wool, lycra Structure: 4 layered cloth in plain weave
Taking Russian laces as my inspiration, I tried to get the balance between the figure and ground by using contrasting material. The colour and texture of the samples were based on the delicate and embossed feel of the laces. TopWarp: Cupro, cotton Weft: Cupro, cotton Structure: Extra weft Bottom leftWarp: Cupro, cotton Weft: Cupro, cotton Structure: Distorted weft Bottom rightWarp: Wool Weft: Wool, cotton Structure: Back cloth
To enhance the visual impact of figure and ground, I also tried to get the embossed effect present in the Russian laces. Warp: Wool Weft: Wool, lycra Structure: Back cloth
The motifs in the samples are the simplified forms from the laces, adjusted to be made on the 24 shaft loom. Warp: Wool Weft: Wool, lycra Structure: Double cloth
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PRINT DESIGN Introduction to Print Design started with learning the different components of print like motifs, overalls and coordinates. Taking different inspirations as concepts, a number of projects were developed with the main print along with it’s coordinates.
A series of unconventional motifs were taken to develop a set of prints. The prints were limited to 3 colors and can be produced through screen printing.
A mystical, whimsical and luminant print was developed with foliage as the base. The foliage sketches were inspired by the paintings of a French artist Henry Rousseau. Texture was one of the main keywords in the process. Wax pastels were applied and scraped off in patches to achieve the textured effect. The print was developed for apparel, suitable for digital printing.
The main print imagined as an asymmetrical garment.
Coordinates of the main print imagined as scarves and pocket squares. Along with motifs as the coordinates, I also developed textured prints to go along with the collection.
A print developed for the wallpaper of a cafe. The concept was to bring faces and dialogues together. The illustrations have been inspired from a print by Minakani, a French design house. The text behind the faces are greetings in different language and different hand scripts. The style of the print was casual and lively to suit the cafe.
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INTRODUCTION TO SEWING The introduction to sewing started by creating a set of cushions with surface manupulations. We then moved on to creating a piece of apparel starting from a photograph as the inspiration.
A coordinating set of cushion covers with lines as the main visual element common between them. The left sample is enamored with mexican tucks on the surface, while the hexagonal cushion cover shows mitring between the six pieces of the printed lines.
I took a photograph of the Tantipara Masjid of Bengal as my inspiration for the garment. Built in mid 1400s, the mosque is half fallen down now, with remains of massive stone pillars made of black basalt. The pillars held 10 domes on top but no longer remains. The walls of the mosque have embossed terracotta panels that have intricate detailing of flowers and creepers.
I chose rust dyeing as a way of surface developement for the garment to match the rustic feel of the building.
The details of the garments reflects details from the monument like the standing neck and the curves to match the curves in the monument. A heavy weight cotton fabric was chosen for the appropriate fall of the garment.
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FABRIC CONSTRUCTION This design project focused on creating an object taking inspiration from a food item. After studying the form and the processes involved in the making of the food, we defined our own design brief to finally come up with a final product.
I chose the Indian stuffed pastry, also known as puffs, as my inspiration. I studied the texture and form of the layers, and took the layering aspect of the puff to explore further.
Different materials and techniques were used to explore the possible structures that could be derived from the form of the puff.
The final product developed was a book shelf with the layers forming the grooves to keep books in. The form and material of the shelf was finalised through a series of explorations that tested the stability of the shelf. Material used: Cotton belts, felt strips Dimension: 1ft x 2 ft x 5ft
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CRAFT DOCUMENTATION Research and documentation of the traditional weaving techniques of a small community, Swansis, living in the district of Khunti, Jharkhand. The document is a result of 8 weeks of on- and off-field research on the history of the community, their weaving practice and their woven products.
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MOTIFS AND MEANING
hard to convey which motifs they are referring to.
Nature, environment and their worldview have always provided inspiration to the weavers. Rudolf Arnheim, a perceptual psychologist, mentioned that abstraction is inherent to our ability of perception. In these textiles we see that abstraction. Another layer of abstraction is imparted by the weaving technique itself which restricys patterning to vertical , horizontal and diagonal shapes. The motifs are basic in shape and yet the sophistication comes when one observes the simplified, geometric and symmetrical treatment of it.
The name and form of khonda is derived from the rice paste pattern drawn on the ground during marriages. It marks the area in the aangan (house patio) where karsa, an earthen pitcher with paddy stalks and diyas. The pattern is made in the continuous extra weft technique. There are variations to the details of the motif but the base form remains the same.
There are two kinds of motifs. The bigger motifs with more complex patterns seem to be the important motifs, recurring in the neighbouring regions as well. They follow a specific sequence when made on padiya and tolong. The remaining motifs are used as fillers between the bigger motif bands. The motif size ranges between 1x1inch to as large as 3x4inches. The stripes have a bigger bracket with some being as thin as 0.5cm to some as thick as 2inches. The names of the motifs are taken directly from the source of the inspiration, such as mandoli, a stripe made of triangles that come from an ornament. The motif library seen today have undergone changes over the last few decades, as mentioned by Chara Swansi. However, it is difficult to point out the ones that have been added, removed or altered in it since the vocabulary remains in the verbal tales of the Swansi without ever being documented. However, the lack of a physical library, we noticed, also interferes in the communication where the customers find it
The mandoli is made in continuous extra weft and is seen running in bands all throughout the piece. This motif comes from the necklace of the same name which was traditionally made using the flower of Moringa oleifera. The mandoli is important part of the girl’s ornamentation.
Machli was one the few new motifs made by Chara Swansi at the request of the Germans. He explained the process where he tried numerous forms for the fish on the cloth directly, without using any graphs. There were a few more motifs that he tried for the Germans but there are no samples or photographs of them.
The document has a comprehensive study of the textiles of the region along with the details of the process and motifs used in them. It also records the current challenges faced by the craft and the craftsmen.
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KARNATAKA HANDLOOM PROJECT A live design project with the government of Karnataka. The project brief was to study the Molakalmuru saress of Karnataka and come up with design solutions to improve its market. The scope of work included learning about the weaving practices in Molakalmuru, the town where it is produced, building a lexicon of the design language, market study, studying the data collected to trace the value chain and distinguising the possible intervention points.
42 | Sarees of Molakalmuru
Motifs Mango
Peacock
The mango motif is one of the common motifs found in these silk sarees. It is VHHQ LQ GLႇHUHQW IRUPV DQG VW\OHV VL]HV ranging from as small as 2mm to as big as 9inches. They are widely used in borders, bugudi (supporting borders), as all over butas, corner butas and in the pallu as well.
This is a wid sarees. Like LQ GLႇHUHQW V borders, pall came across a recurring t where the sa multiple use
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Peacock This is a widely used motif in Molakalmuru sarees. Like the mango, this is also seen LQ GLႇHUHQW VW\OHV IRUPV DQG VL]HV LQ borders, pallu and all over body butas. We came across sarees with peacock motif as a recurring theme all throughout the saree where the same motif was adapted for its multiple use.
46 | Sarees of Molakalmuru
Power Other common motifs are (clockwise) creepers, kalash, adake, ginny (parrot) and coin buta. They are all found in the body of the saree.
Decade old sarees were studied along with the traditional ones to make the motif library of the Molakalmuru weaving craft.
Molakalm in town wh by Ramm unit was s weavers f handloom bought un by the gov can produ the unit is currently. workers, e saree.
The loom, employ m viscose is used in th
Shidlaghata (Chikkaballapur) Naturally Yellow silk yarn is made of 8-10 filaments priced at Rs. 3200/kg Ramanagara Naturally White silk Yarn is made of 3-5 filamenst priced at Rs. 3800-4000/kg
Dyes and chemicals sourced from Dharmavaram, Bangalore and Raidurga
Zari is procured mainly from Surat and Banglore. Surat Zari costs Rs3,600/ 240gm Banglore Zari Costs Rs2,500/240gm
Sree Venkateswara Silks Silk Yarn Twisting Manufacturers
Nagaraj Silk Yarn Dyeing Unit Owned by Damodar Vangde
Warping Unit
Owned by Prahallad K.P. and Shantharam Basapathi
Run by 8 people, 5 family members and 3 labour from the village
Managed by 5 employees
Dyes 20-25 sarees of same colour per day. Earns a profit of Rs10-12,000/ month
Warps are prepared for the length of 10 sarees.
2 people running the unit Currently own 1 rolling machine set, and is preparing to buy a second machine. Silk warp - Rs. 35 per saree Where 1 warp has 10 sarees Viscose warp Each warp has 30-40 sarees
NHDC
The saris are collected by Cauvery and sold under the brand name K tex
Sold at Co-operative’s own shop
Finished Saris are given back to the director
Yarn is distributed to weavers to be woven
Finished Saris are handed over to the co-operatives
Sold at Dharmavaram, Hyderabad and Bangalore
Director of the region collects the yarn from NHDC
Order goes to the weavers The looms are owned by the cooperatives
Sold at Exhibitions
Harness setup (Nagendra) Jacquard card printing and lacing
Cauvery J.K. Prahllada is the director of Cauvery for Molakalamuru zone.
Co-operatives 7 co-operative societies •Sri Vinayaka Silk and Cotton Weaver’s Co-operative Society Molakalmuru •Sri Shirdi Saibaba Silk Handloom Weaver’s Cooperative society Molakalmuru •Sri Nunkimalai Siddeswara Silk Weaver’s Cooperative Society •The Handloom Weaver’s Co-op Society Ltd. •Molakalmuru Taluk Silk Handloom Weaver’s Co-op Society, Molakalmuru •Pattashali Handloom Co-operative •Kondlahally Silk Weavers Handloom Co-operative Society
Orders from Dharmavaram, Banglore, Hyderabad, Designers and their own designs
Sold at their own shop Finished Saris are handed over to the Master weaver Sold at Dharmavaram, Hyderabad and Bangalore Sold at Exhibitions
The master weavers distribute work to weavers working for them
Independent weavers Maruthi Thippeswamy Vanjre Ramesha J.K. Prahllada etc
Value chain was mapped and SWOT analysis was done to understand the need of the market and the craft. The ideal way forward was to invest into the rebranding of the craft while promoting it’s rich historical background. 50 | Sarees of Molakalmuru
Data Analysis After looking into the whole system of Molakalmuru saree production in the town, and looking into its market and the people involved, we tried to note down the Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities of it. Based on it, we tried to map a way forward that included product developement and other possible intervention points.
P - Highly skilled weavers - Rich cultural and traditional techniques - HIgh quality material - Localised production - Weavers are aware of new design and colour trends - Mark of Hand - A small group of people still loyal to the traditional designs.
S O - Revival of natural silk dyeing techniques. - Revival of Pochampally design in the borders. - Molakmuru Sarees advertised as an identity of Karnataka and thus gain more importance for customers. - With the emergence of ‘Conscious Consumerism’, there is an increase in the demand for quality handloom product. - Traditional Molakalmuru sarees were worn by royalties. It can be reintroduced for the high end market.
- The business is highly relied on silk SULFHV ZKLFK DUH YHU\ ÀXFWXDWLQJ - Limited market due to high cost. - Identity crisis ( Molakalmuru sarees EHLQJ VROG XQGHU GLႇHUHQW QDPHV like Kanjeevaram and Dharmavaram sarees) - Weavers unwilling to experiment with new technology and directly look to the market for any changes.
W T - Competition from powerloom industry ( Single shuttle and Kadiyal sarees) - Increasing prices of raw silk - Lack of weavers - Low wages for weavers due to weak market - Loss of older designs and motifs - Loss of skill - The entire town is depending on one KDUQHVV Âż[LQJ VSHFLDOLVW G\HLQJ XQLW DQG warping unit. If one of them falls then the chain would face abrubt problems.
Y G h o p m t
+ t o c s a a s W t
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T t b f v
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INDUSTRY TRAINING In the 2 month long internship at Welspun India Ltd, I worked on developing prints for area rugs for the UK & Europe market. The work scope included understanding the design language for rugs in the market along with the technicalities of printng proces.
Round kids rugs designed for homecenter.
I worked on four rug collections for AW 20/21. The primary method of developing prints was digital. The process consisted of undnerstanding elements from the moodboard, creating artwork and cleaning the artwork digitally acoording to the colour and pixel ratio requirements.
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PHOTOGRAPHY A couple of pictures shot on phone as hobby.
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