Stitching a nation together

The panel at the entrance includes 12 works by contributing artisans and craft industries that reference the motifs on the preamble of the Indian Constitution

Our visit to Cross Maidan, before the venue opens its doors for the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival later in the evening, is reassuring. Hand For Handmade Foundation's (HFH) exhibition Hamari Virasat: A Tribute to Artisanal Heritage on the 75th Year of the Indian Constitution enshrines, through collective works from the handmade and craft sector across India, values upheld in our Constitution. Fraternity, liberty, equality, unity, justice, diversity aren't utopian ideas thought up by its founding fathers, even though they might be sidelined today. This collection of 75 textile-based works, all drawn from the preamble of the Indian Constitution, is testimony to the fact that the values they depict are indeed alive. The travelling exhibition, which began at CSMVS (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya) will later head to Ahmedabad, Delhi and other cities.

Woman of India by Porgai Artist Association highlights a woman's perspective on their experiences of the values of liberty, justice and equality enshrined in the constitution

Each panel of the showcase comprises one-into-one-metre works that celebrate Indian craft and heritage. In curating the works, contributing artisans - HFH members - were given motifs from the art represented on the preamble as a theme. Aradhana Nagpal, project consultant and craft curator, points out, "We come full circle with these artworks, because the motifs on the preamble were inspired by Indian craft and heritage. And now the showcased works reflect the values of the Constitution of India in the very motifs [inspired by animals, leaves and flowers and painted by artist Beohar Rammanohar Sinha] that are represented in it." Vipul Jain, founder, HFH, adds, "The art in the Constitution expresses the soul behind its ideas. It's not just a legal document; it is what the nation stands for."
Walking through the set-up, we're delighted to see artists' signatures and contact numbers incorporated in some of the works. We have Ansari Zardozi, an elegant and detailed work by Shahid Hussain Iqbal Hussain Ansar pointed out to us. It incorporates all the motifs of the preamble - geometric, floral and animal - using techniques like the aari art form from Gujarat that features embroidery using a pointed needle called an aari. It also comprises the kora art form from the rich cultural landscape of Gujarat with intricate metallic thread embroidery.

Ansari Zardozi by Shahid Hussain Iqbal Hussain Ansari uses embroidery techniques from Gujarat. Pics/Tanishka D'Lyma

We notice Woman of India by the Porgai Artisan Association, a women-led artisan society nurturing Tamil Nadu's Lambadi hand embroidery. The piece looks at the Constitution from a woman's perspectives. The embroidered figure at the centre is dressed traditionally, the tension in a tightly closed fist expresses a lack of freedom in her life; a Blue Jay symbolises her freedom; the word ‘cutantiram' (Tamil for freedom), is embroidered; colour patches around represent oppressed minorities claiming their stake of equality - green for farmers and tribal communities, blue for religious minorities and rainbow colours for gender minorities. The ongoing struggle for fraternity, equity, equality, and justice since 1949, and the creation of the Constitution, are also visually expressed.

Panels showcasing weaving techniques inherent to Jharkhand by Johargram, the Almora pattern from the Kumaon region by Avani, and other artworks

You can also scan the QR code provided to learn about stories behind each work along with direct contacts to the creators; a crucial addition to the exhibition, reflective of HFH's undertakings to revolutionise the artisan community.

Shibani Dasgupta Jain, Vipul Jain and Aradhana Nagpal

For visitors, the visual representation sparks conversation around our constitutional values, India's artisanal sector which makes an impact on nation-building through employment, women empowerment, creative expression and liberation, and the connection between the two. "The vision [of HFH and the exhibition] is to reimagine the handmade industry for today. Craft, made creatively by hand, can adapt to trends. A lot of the work here has been made by new generations; their [fresh perspectives] help viewers look at the work with new eyes. And so, the potential of the artisanal sector goes beyond conservation. But to make it formal and relevant, expand markets and connect artisans, entrepreneurs and consumers. It's time for a renaissance," Jain concludes.

Till January 28 (all days); 11 am to 10 pm
At Cross Maidan, Churchgate.
Free