Kalamkari: Craft of the matter

Q How many craftsmen does it take to make one Kalamkari fabricA The meticulous craft of Kalamkari requires the fabric to undergo 17 laborious steps to highlight the beauty of delicate patterns and the richness of natural dyes There are skilled artisans appointed and assigned to handle various functions From making the block to treating the cloth to printing to washing approximately eight to 10 craftsmen are involved in creating one yardage of Kalamkari fabricA still from the craft film on Kalamkari by Good Earth from the series called PehchaanQ What aspect of Kalamkari makes it different from other handblocks of IndiaA Historically Indian Chintz have been known for and coveted around the world for their artistic floral patterns freshness and brilliance of colour and the permanency of their natural dyes The craft of Kalamkari has beautifully imbibed the rich and varied design elements that carry the impressions of different cultures and is a wonderful synthesis of the Hindu and Muslim cultures Differences in the quality of wood used for blocks as well as the instruments used for carving out the pattern account partly for the superiority of this craft Equally noteworthy is the sheer size of the Machilipatnam blocks and the scale of the traditional print of the area which exceeds that of any other block printing tradition of India It has emerged and prospered due to the ideal weather conditions widespread availability of natural resources such as mordants running and still waters and abundant sunshineA craftswoman gives handpainted touches to the Kalamkari printQ What is the defining aspect of the Kalamkari patternA The defining factor in the appeal of this craft is the warmth and richness of the colours produced by the rapid absorption of the natural dyes that is attained by a special mordant dyeing process A variety of factors including indigenous and foreign influences recurring motifs their significance the use of colours and finally the amalgamation of all these aspects is what gives chintz its unique characterNatural indigo used for dyeingThe process involves washing the fabric at various stagesQ What are the traditional motifs seen in Kalamkari In what way have you changed them to make them contemporaryA Our collaboration with Kalamkari artisans began in 2010 by working with existing blocks from the craftsmanrsquos repertoire using the indigo dye that they were most familiar with The Cypress tree entwined with a flowering vine poppies and intricate jaal in indigo and white that featured in our first home textile Kalamkari collection launched in 2012 mdash Nilaya mdash found a connection with our patrons With sensitive design intervention in 2013 we proposed to extend their design vocabulary by introducing pineapples and palms to our tropical collections This year we revived the Madder Rose dye of Persian influence mdash a beautiful expression for our summer collection that celebrates the confluence of Arab Persian and Mughal cultures at the cross roads on the Silk RouteFabrics being dried after one of the washesMen making the blocks for printingQ Beyond Machilipatnam where is Kalamkari practised in IndiaA The craft of Kalamkari originated from two distinct gharanas mdash one is the Srikalahasti also in Andhra Pradesh style and the other is the Machilipatnam style of art Stemming from the religious impulse Srikalahasti style of Kalamkari is used to narrate stories from the epics through scrolls temple hangings chariot banners and is mainly practised in Srikalahasti The only major difference is that Srikalahasti paintings depend entirely on the brush such as a pen whereas the Machilipatnam style uses blockprinting techniqueThe final productTo watch the film Log on to bitlyChintzFilmproducts available at Good Earth stores at Lower Parel 24951954 Colaba 22021030 and Juhu 26112481