Posts Tagged ‘Bandhani’
Sep 13
Bandhani to Shibori, How an Indian Artisan Innovates
It’s the strong pull of the tactile that brings forth memories. For Abdul Aziz Khatri from Kutch, India, it was the learning of bandhani, a resist-dyeing technique, at the feet of his elders that permeated his tactile senses providing a connection to cloth and imbedding cultural meaning.→ Read more
Jun 21
Indian Artisans and Design Education
It was a rare opportunity to meet Judy Frater, the Founder Director of Somaiya Kala Vidya (SKV), an institute for artisans’ education in Kutch, Gujarat, while attending Tinkuy in Cusco, Peru, in November, and again the following month on Christmas Eve in Oaxaca, Mexico, where we were visiting friends and→ Read more
Mar 08
Meet an Indian Woman Bandhani Artisan
Most bandhani artisans in Kutch-Gujurat, India, are men who come from the Khatri lineage—they create the designs and dye, and the women tie the fine dot, resist-dyed patterns. Zakiya Adil Khatri is changing that. From childhood on, Zakiya was deeply interested in handicrafts and knew she wanted to make a→ Read more
Sep 14
Tie Dye Resist Indian Style
Of all artisan-made cloth, the tie-dye resist of Indian bandhani stumps most people. It’s a technique of creating patterns in cloth by tying small, continuous knots before it’s dyed. The areas where the knots are tied don’t allow the dye to penetrate, leaving these areas the color of the original→ Read more
Aug 17
Bandhani Artisan Imagines the Eclipse: Aziz Khatri
The moment of memory happened while ironing the Circle of Fire Eclipse Scarf created by Abdul Aziz Khatri of Kutch, India. This silken wrap transported me to March 29, 2006, in Anatalya, Turkey, where I viewed my first solar eclipse. The colors of deep indigo, vermilion, and almost black washed→ Read more
Sep 03
Bandhani Artisan Expands Resist-Dyeing Tradition: Aziz Khatri
Learning bandhani, the Indian name for a resist-dyeing “tie-and-dye” technique, at the feet of one’s elders is the traditional way. It’s what imbeds deep cultural meaning and a connection to cloth, permeating the tactile senses beyond spoken words, and contributes to artisan mastery.→ Read more
Jun 05
All in the Family: Indian Male Textile Artisans
When we launched ClothRoads, our focus was to support women weaving cooperatives. And we do, mostly. But as we traveled the globe and met more artisans, it didn’t take long to realize the scope had to be expanded to include male artisans too. It became ever more apparent in India—a→ Read more
May 22
Shibori aka Tie-and-Dye
Last year, ikat was the big trend in fabric. This year, it’s shibori. The fashion world has adopted the name shibori to apply to any number of shaped-resist patterns. But shibori is a Japanese word encompassing various types of shaped resists created through the manipulation of fabric. Many textile-producing cultures→ Read more
Jun 20
Turbans, The Ultimate Crown for Textile Lovers
What is a resist-dyed (tie-and-dye) cloth that can be used for bedding, a pillow, holding water, tying up just about anything, but primarily worn on the head by men? If I gave you another clue, that it’s wedding and festival time in Rajasthan, India, would that help? Yes, it’s a→ Read more
Apr 11
Bandhani Indian Tie Dye Resist
There’s sensuousness to reading a cloth, taking one’s fingers and lightly passing over the surface, like braille. To me, Indian bandhani is the braille of all artisan-made cloth resists; this is why I chose it as the ClothRoads scarf this month. Simply stated, bandhani is one form of tie-dyed cloth.→ Read more
