Archana Shah | Textile Traditions of Kutch - Thursday 19th @ 18.00

The Tasveer Foundation invites you to a lecture by Archana Shah Thursday, 19th September at 6:00pm National Gallery of Modern Art Manekyavelu Mansion 49 Palace Road Bengaluru – 560 052   The exquisite fabrics of Kutch were legendary and widely traded as far back as the time of the Indus Valley Civilization, some 5000 years ago. Through the centuries, the ancient techniques of dyeing, weaving and printing continued to flourish there, and clothing played a key role in defining the identity of the various communities in Kutch. Weaving together history and legend, as well as myths, mores and miracles, Archana Shah, in this lecture, will offer glimpses of the unique culture and craft practices of the people of Kutch, as well as their food and homes, and particularly their ancient textile traditions, all of which are closely connected with one another and with the vast, arid landscape of the region. This lecture will also explore the traditional self-sustaining ways of life of the people of Kutch, their values and world view, which has taught them to conserve their environment and precious resources; it will also touch on the unrestrained ‘development’ of the region, which has upset the ecological balance and created deep fissures in what was once a harmoniously integrated society.   Archana Shah graduated from the National Institute of Design (NID) in 1980. Early in her career, she travelled to remote corners of the country to study, understand and experience the vast variety of weaving, dyeing, printing, embroidery and ornamentation techniques practised by different communities. Their distinctive colour palettes, and rich design vocabulary became the base for all her future work. In 1985, Shah started a clothing company, Bandhej, a label created for Indian women, with an Indian sensibility. Today, Bandhej is a recognised brand, with stores in six other cities in India. Shah has also designed costumes for films and theatre and architectural textile installations for Festival of India inaugurations at Paris, Moscow, Leningrad and Tashkent. Her book on Kutch, Shifting Sands has just been published.

We request you to be seated 10 minutes before the lecture. RSVP : +91 40535212 / 33 Email: geetha@tasveerarts.com www.tasveerarts.com