For Ahmedabad-based Asif Shaikh, it has become a mission to save Indian crafts from fading into oblivion.
Having experimented with and reinventing textiles and embroidery for more than 22 years, the 47-year-old crafts practitioner is organising a conference, “Working Hand-in-Hand”, at the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad, to be held this month-end. The event aims to create awareness among the public about Indian crafts and artisans.
Shaikh has set up the Craft+Design+Society (CDS), a coming together of like-minded people who wish to work for the rejuvenation of the Indian crafts and support artisans. With NID’s support, CDS will address the ambiguities in the state of affairs of the crafts world at this meet.
One of the steps to achieve this, Shaikh feels, is by creating brands out of promising artisans and crafts persons, backed by designers. “We should feel relieved that many crafts that were considered dead are still around, although they need a little push and need to be displayed alongside contemporary products. They must find and claim their rightful place in the chain of manufacturing and production, design and market,” he says.
In his career, the master craftsman has been instrumental in reviving ancient Indian arts. “Westerners came to India way back in the 15th century in search of many things. What they took back was the impact of those products on their culture. Much of that is part of their several museum collections. That work still inspires them through its quality, intricacy, design, richness and finesse. Some of our museums also showcase these pieces, but rarely as heirlooms,” Shaikh says.
In this age when sustainability is the keyword, he says, the art and craft that one has need to be preserved for posterity. “By crafts, I do not mean handicrafts, but quality goods that are recognised for their design and aesthetic value. These are produced by families or a person who has specialised over generations in the art and skill of that particular craft. These include tools and ateliers passed down generations, often like trade secrets. Today, even though many designers fall back on these crafts and artisans, they do not acknowledge either of them.”
Shaikh spoke to Weekend Review about the conference and his work. Excerpts:
What will be the aim of the conference?
It will invite the practitioners and facilitators to discuss craft, design and research methods. It is hoped that new terminologies shall be agreed upon for new methods and existing terminologies for older crafts will be honoured. A unique fashion show, “Hand-in-Hand”, will also be held, wherein a designer and a craftsperson will collaborate on a collection and document the production process.
Every collection will first showcase the original use of that particular craft. For example, Ajrak was worn by Maldharis as a lungi [a garment worn around the waist], shoulder cloth or headcover. So, it will begin with a model sporting the traditional Maldhari look, followed by the contemporary designs developed in the collaboration. This collaboration should enlighten the designer about the craft, who in turn will teach the craftsperson/artisan about the market and design, and values such as trends, colour palettes, cuts, fits, drapes, planning, branding and packaging. Thereafter, the designer and artisan will be able to create a line of fashion and brand it, offering prêt and couture collections for women the world over.
How will it benefit artisans, many of whom have or are on the verge of leaving their age-old professions?
The event is not only a way to share the creative process, but also for rich history to emerge. Also, strategic marketing will ensure better incomes that will hopefully lead more artisans to stay with their craft. Eleven textile craft techniques will be showcased. These are collaborative collections of Indian artisans and designers from India and Malaysia.
How did your interest in hand embroidery begin?
I was born in a middle class family, and even at a young age, I was fascinated to see my mother transform a plain piece of cloth into an object of beauty. After finishing school, I joined the School of Interior Design. My deep sense for aesthetics, detail and thirst for getting to the bottom of how things are produced ensured a thorough knowledge of weaving techniques, printing and dyeing, natural colours, embellishing techniques, threads and the various apparatus that go into making and presenting a finished product. I had no formal training in embroidery and learnt only through years of practice. As I worked with master craftspersons, I helped them understand what it meant to go that extra mile to hone their skills and techniques and create perfect pieces of art.
Which have been the high points of your life?
It began with redesigning of the karchob or the scroll frame in 2012. This simplified the tedious task of mounting the fabric on the frame for the best embroidery results and is also a time-saving and fabric friendly technique. The Moguls brought the karchob to India in the 16th century. Its most significant disadvantage was that it took two to four hours to tie the frame, after which 20 embroiderers could work on one piece. But artisans would take shortcuts in tying, which affected the quality of embroidery. By simplifying the design of the frame, it can now be tied in 15 minutes.
In 2013, I launched “resurgence” at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi. It is a collection of textiles by master craftspersons, embellished with hand embroidery and brings together the best that India has to offer. This collection is now being showcased around the world. The endeavour was not to copy the old pieces, but to develop them further, making them contemporary and proving that even after industrialisation, liberalisation and large-scale production, craftsmanship is not lost. Every craftsperson is given due credit.
Similarly, in 2015, I re-introduced real kasab gold-plated silver thread and used beetle wings for embellishing special pieces of embroidery of fabric woven from peacock feathers.
While your artistic contributions are many, miniature embroidery is considered one of your most unique achievements.
Yes, people who have seen my miniatures claim they have never seen such fine embroidery. I had heard of miniature paintings and decided to apply the same concept to embroidery. I reduced an embroidery design to a quarter of its original size — something that had not been tried before because of the kind of challenge it posed of creating minute and precise stitches. Initially, I practised with floral patterns using a basic chain stitch and then created more intricate designs. It’s all about having command of the needle and being able to play with the thread.
In the past two decades, I have revamped tools and techniques, developed new stitches, blended traditional and contemporary designs and colours, supported and trained local artisans and promoted education and appreciation for the art nationally and internationally. With no machines in my studio and every step done by hand, I have worked on the fading or extinct weaves and techniques, including works such as aari, zardozi, vasli and kamdani.
Why don’t Indian products fetch the same respect and brand recognition in the market as Western products do?
That’s because except for the discerning few, the Indian buyer has no knowledge about handcrafted textiles. They have no way of ascertaining the quality difference, no knowledge about the manufacturing process that would justify its costs. To add to it, many think that a handmade product is essentially sloppy. That’s the reason I have taken it upon myself to bring the weaver out of his village and show him the respect and pay him the price that his work demands. Of course, much more needs to be done, as I believe if we lose a craft, we lose a culture. As American philanthropist Eli Broad puts it: “Civilisations are not remembered by their business people, bankers or lawyers. They are remembered by their arts.”
- Nilima Pathak is a journalist based in New Delhi.
