The age-old art form of weaving is making a come back among youngsters who are learning the craft as a means of healing. With different kinds of weaving workshops popping up in the city, this therapeutic art is being sought after by many. Moreover, this is one of the best ways in which we could revive a dying art form.
Prasida Chavan teaching weaving at a workshop
Chennai:
“Actually, weaving started as a form of expression — if you see, every saree tells a story. Today, weaving is being used as an art therapy in various parts of the world. Interestingly, this trend is very much evident in our city too with many weaving workshops popping up every weekend,” she says.
The process of creating a woven piece has therapeutic value. A person’s choice of colour and concentration on patterns also varies. “An individual needs to have a higher degree of concentration while working on a loom with thread. If they go wrong, they need to redo it. So their mind is completely focused on the entire process. Weaving lifts a person’s spirits and brings positivity,” she explains
Through her initiative, Kaipunya, Rashmitha Isaac wants to promote weaving among youngsters. “When an individual creates something beautiful using a loom, he/she gets a sense of accomplishment. Selecting colours for the yarn is a way of expressing your emotions. Rather than bottling up feelings, you get to relieve it while weaving. At my workshop, I provide new designs, creative materials, different kinds of natural fibres, yarns, etc and ask the participants to come up with their own creation. I ask them to vent their negative feelings through artwork and tell stories through different techniques. This has a healing touch,” she says.
The duo staunchly believes that weaving workshops will help revive the art form. “If a person comes and experiences the effort putting into weaving — warping a loom, finding the right fibers, materials and so on — they will definitely understand the value of weaving. This also helps to bring forgotten weaves of the country to the fore.”
Prasida Chavan, a weaver-artist with more than 25 years of experience, organises weaving workshop every month at her house in Cholamandal Artist Village. “Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts and Tamil Nadu has a rich tradition of weaving. Until a couple of years ago, weaving was done by professionals in villages across the country.
“Actually, weaving started as a form of expression — if you see, every saree tells a story. Today, weaving is being used as an art therapy in various parts of the world. Interestingly, this trend is very much evident in our city too with many weaving workshops popping up every weekend,” she says.
The process of creating a woven piece has therapeutic value. A person’s choice of colour and concentration on patterns also varies. “An individual needs to have a higher degree of concentration while working on a loom with thread. If they go wrong, they need to redo it. So their mind is completely focused on the entire process. Weaving lifts a person’s spirits and brings positivity,” she explains
Through her initiative, Kaipunya, Rashmitha Isaac wants to promote weaving among youngsters. “When an individual creates something beautiful using a loom, he/she gets a sense of accomplishment. Selecting colours for the yarn is a way of expressing your emotions. Rather than bottling up feelings, you get to relieve it while weaving. At my workshop, I provide new designs, creative materials, different kinds of natural fibres, yarns, etc and ask the participants to come up with their own creation. I ask them to vent their negative feelings through artwork and tell stories through different techniques. This has a healing touch,” she says.
The duo staunchly believes that weaving workshops will help revive the art form. “If a person comes and experiences the effort putting into weaving — warping a loom, finding the right fibers, materials and so on — they will definitely understand the value of weaving. This also helps to bring forgotten weaves of the country to the fore.”