TEXTILE
‘Yatra’
is
an ancient Sanskrit word meaning JOURNEY
“From the archive of the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies Winterton Collection, Northwestern University.”
“From the archive of the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies Winterton Collection, Northwestern University.”
“From the archive of the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies Winterton Collection, Northwestern University.”
“From the archive of the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies Winterton Collection, Northwestern University.”
TEXTILE EXHIBITION
 Visitors at Sari Exhibition |  Lata Desai and Shariffa |
|---|---|
 Subrang Dancers at launch |
Sari Exhibition
SARI OF GUJARAT
 Embroidered Saree |  Printed Bandhani with gold embroideryIn Bandhani, also called tie and dye, little thread knots are applied to the textile and subsequently the cloth is dyed in several stages. The print of this sari copies the ‘dot-structure’ of the thread-knot sari. This garment is embellished with gold embroidery, known as zardozi or zari. |  Surat Silk SareeA factory printed silk sari |
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 Gharcholu wedding sariA wedding sari given to a bride by her in laws. It is woven with silk and zari thread and embellished with Bandhani work, which is a tie and dye process historically associated with the Halar and Kutch areas of Gujarat |  Embroidered Cotton SareeA factory printed cotton sari with hand embroidery from Kutch. |  Bhandhani SareeIn Bandhani, also called tie and dye, little thread knots are applied to the textile and subsequently the cloth is dyed in several stages. The print of this sari copies the ‘dot-structure’ of the thread-knot sari. The garment is embellished with rich embroidery and applique pattern. |
 Rajkot PatolaAnother type of silk sari made in a single ikkat style developed in Rajkot, Gujarat. Here the dyeing process includes only the weft threads. |  Patan PatolaA silk sari with an intricate design, produced in Patan, north Gujarat. It is woven in double ikkat style, meaning that both the weft and warp threads are wrapped to resist the dye in order to create a specific design. This dyeing process has to be repeated for each colour. The finished garment can be worn on both sides. The design pattern of the ikkat sari shows ‘bluriness’ caused by a difficult dyeing process. |
Women of Gujarati origin wear this colourful outer garment, wrapped artfully around the waist with one end draped over the shoulder.
The cloth is made of silk, cotton or synthetic material and can be up to six metres in length. It is often further embellished with gold or silver threads, mirrors, bells and glass.
Many different styles of Sari have developed across India, differentiated by where and how they were made, and the materials and techniques used. Gujarat, with its long history of handicrafts, trade and industry, produces a bewildering array of types of sari.
The sari in this collection belong to the women of Subrang Arts and therefore demonstrate contemporary styles, tastes and manufacturing methods.
Showing a sari in its full-length form emphasises the beautiful colours, rich material and intricate embellishment of these fabrics. It shows how these garments became an obvious choice for being traded outside Gujarat, to different parts of India and to the countries along the African coast.
EMBROIDERY OF GUJARAT
Contemporary Embroidery Exhibition
All cultures have traditions of embroidery. Influences and cross-fertilizations can be traced along trade routes and patterns of migration. Trade and natural fabrics of an area affect the kind of stitches that are produced. The same stitches are found in countries separated by great distances, perhaps stitches migrated because of contacts made through trade or the migration of people.
To coincide with the ‘Gujarati Yatra – Journey of a people’ exhibition at the Museum of Croydon, Subrang Arts conducted workshops in Gujarati embroidery over a period of nine months with the local community. For this exhibition, the group has taken inspiration from the rich tradition of Gujarati embroidery.
 Peacock |  Embroidery-Birds Parrot |
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 Pattern Mirror work |  Embroidery gallery 2 |
 Embroidery gallery 5 |  Elephant |
 Chakras |  Cross Stitch |
A visual feast, this exhibition charts the generational art with skills taught from mother to daughter. They have embroidered clothes for festive occasions and to decorate deities and in addition to create a source of income. In Gujarat, women not only embroider their garments, but also use them as items for decorating their houses such as chaklas, wall hangings, toran, pillow covers, or cushion cover.
Each of the 30 crafts women have developed a very distinct style, using different techniques to interpret the artefacts and to show an individual style. They have created a diverse and creative range such as running stitch (thebha), back stitch (bakhiyo), stem stitch (amlo), fly stitch (bhat no tankoudan), chain stitch (sankari), single feather stitch (peechhatanko), buttonhole stitch (gaajtanko), herringbone stitch (sadotanko), cross stitch (chokditanko), satin stitch (reshmitanko), interlaced cross stitch (bavadio) and mirror work (abhla).
