Crafts council welcomes creativity

HYDERABAD:  Crafts Council of Telangana (CCT) opened its doors to ‘CCT Spaces’ — an artist, craftsperson souk on Wednesday. It featured an inaugural show by award-winning designer Gaurang, which showcased jamdani and tapestry weaving techniques on the loom.

The 20,000 sq. ft space held a museum-like display of 65 exquisite Indian hand-woven sarees including the ones recreating the painting of Raja Ravi Varma in the pallu, and a live demonstration of the art of Jamdani weaving.

The exhibition featured weaves from different parts of India - Khadi, and Jamdani from Dhaka, Kasi, Kota, Srikakulam, Uppada, Venkatgiri, created directly on the loom. 

Congratulating CCT Spaces on the initiative to promote Indian art, Gaurang said, “As a designer, I have often wondered what makes Jamdani such a captivating canvas to many and me especially. After 20 years of working with weavers across India, I have found a layered answer.

There is, of course, the legacy. Every piece you have seen today is my homage to the past masters who created Jamdani by infusing tradition with a spirit of experimentation.” “This spirit is perhaps also the reason why Jamdani has so many traditional forms.

There is also the skill of our weavers (over 70% of whom are women). We are surrounded by masters who can weave any pattern, no matter how intricate, and yet, like true artists, they keep pushing their craft. But there is something else intertwined with all this that gives real meaning and motivation to both the weaver and me. I believe Jamdani’s future is not very different from its past. In this interlace connected through time and timelessness, I hope you too have discovered your idea of Jamdani’s essence,” he added.