It is an embroidery technique from Punjab that literally transports the discerning to a pristine world where flowers of all shapes and sizes mesmerise you.
Mela Phulkari, the ongoing exhibition at India Habitat Centre, is an attempt to showcase the art form in all its hues. The twelve installations are named after months of the Punjabi calendar as Chet (Chaitra), Vaisakh (Baisakhi), Jeth (Jyeshta), Asaarh (Aashaadha), Saavan (Shravan), Bhadon (Bhadon) and Phagun (Phalgund)
“It is a question of identity, women’s politics, feminism, empowerment and memory. It is a way of telling that women also weave their dreams and their desires. They also stamp their identity while making it. Earlier, it was seen as women doing it in their homes. But now it has come to denote women’s empowerment,” says curator Alka Pande.
Dr. Alka Pande
Dr. Pande, who lived for two decades in Punjab and visited virtually every village, says: “Earlier, Phulkari was seen as something that women did in their homes. Today, it is being done to seek employment. So the cloth is handmade, hand-dyed, even the thread is hand-dyed. Everything is done with hand only. It highlights the power of women and gives them an identity.”
Among the artists and designers whose work is on display at IHC is Pratima Pandey, a fashion designer and an alumna of NIFT. She has done interesting installations such as Soni, the epitome of beauty, elegance and the women of today. Her lehenga with a blouse and jacket was lapped by art aficionados.
“Inspired by the rich, ancient heritage of Punjab and its craft, the ensemble aims to draw attention to a woman’s inner consciousness of love and the desire to dress up with care.” Pandey says it is a beautiful craft but very difficult to make as only a few craftspersons are around. “The more orders we get the better it would be for its revival. It is also very expensive so we use it in a way that it is viable.”
Artist Jagdeesh Singh is showcasing the magic of Phulkari through two installations. “Phulkari is a treasure trove for us since time immemorial. Rather than display my mastery in Phulkari, I have taken a different and difficult trajectory to showcase it on my canvas. Delineating this ancient embroidery in a four feet by seven feet long painting was time consuming yet creatively an extremely gratifying task. It took me an entire month but I managed to showcase embroidery, design appeal and aesthetics of this centuries-old tradition. The uniqueness of my painting is that the look is exactly the same as the fabric in which women unleash their creative spark.”
This year, Mela Phulkari is special as it is celebrating the 555th anniversary of Guru Nanak’s birthday. ”
On the significance of Mela Phulkari 6, co-founder Harinder Singh says it revolves around the theme of “Jaago Panjab.” “Time has come for Punjab to wake up and show the world what it is capable of. The word jaago is also synonymous with a wedding tradition of waking up the community of a new bride as she readies to enter a new phase of life.”
New lease of life
Describing the 12 installations as living beings, Dr. Pande says these are the living traditions. “By the way, the awakening programme about the rich craft is still being done in the villages of Punjab. They Harinder and Kiran have a shop at Janpath in New Delhi and Amritsar. That is their commercial side but what they do through this mela is commendable. Phulakri is not dying; it is vibrant. And people like Harinder are keeping it alive by putting it in the form of digital prints on different fabrics.”
The exhibition concludes on February 17.