Silk River – Final Report Feb 2018

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4 The Inspiration Patachitra The aesthetic and design of the silk scrolls was inspired by the traditional Bengali art form of Patachitra. This is a unique folk tradition of visual storytelling accompanied by songs performed the Patuas. The painters are called Patua and bear the surname – Chitrakar. The paintings are mostly based on stories on mythology, social, historical or contemporary issues. The Patuas compose songs on the stories then paint to corroborate with the story which they unfurl and sing. This makes the Patuas lyricists, painters, singers, all blended into one. Swarna & Monaranjan Chitrakar, with Ruchira Das, performing in the UK We worked with many Patachitra artists on the silk scrolls in India and Swarna and Monaranjan Chitrakar visited the UK to deliver artist exchange workshops, accompanied by Ruchira Das. “Very informative. Lots of inspiring stories through the paintings and singing. Fantastic project to be involved in thank you.” Workshop attendee Murshidabad Silk With the assistance of Crafts Council of West Bengal, the high-quality silk for the scrolls was woven in Islampore under the supervision of eminent silk merchant Gadadhar Hore. “It has turned out to be a great revival project as the weavers were contacted and convinced through a series of negotiations that it would be a wonderful opportunity to recreate the superior quality silk on a pilot basis for an international project. The weavers rose to the challenge and the silk for the scrolls was woven on looms that had not done so in recent memory. Here at the Crafts Council of West Bengal our role as an intermediary ensured that the silk was pure Murshidabad and not mixed with yarn from other parts of India or indeed the world. The success of the scrolls in telling the story of the British connection to India, from the past to the present will restore Murshidabad’s place in the history of Empire – as a centre of trade and a producer of exquisite silk.” Ruby Palchoudhuri, Director, Crafts Council of West Bengal Silk weaver Silk River shared the beautiful qualities of this silk to a wide variety of audiences, from Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, to an exhibition at Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata. We estimate that more than 63,000 people saw the scrolls live during Silk River events. The scrolls are now being booked for exhibitions to continue to share their story, and Kinetika is likely to use this special silk on other projects and possibly a range of products too.
5 Silk River Textile Residencies India - January 2017 The first ten scrolls were designed and painted in a fourteenday residency hosted by the Murshidabad Heritage Development Society in Azimganj. Working with the Rural Crafts and Cultural Hubs and the Crafts Council of West Bengal many talented craftspeople were selected to work with the Kinetika artists. “The Patachitras could see the connections in terms of graphic design but the batik technique was new for them. Dipika, one of the younger members of the Patachitra family quickly saw an opportunity. She was excited by what she might learn from the artists of different traditions. None of us can predict the longer-term impact of the residencies on the artists, how the skills learnt, and the design approaches explored will manifest in their work… The challenge for the partners in Kolkata will be to follow up this moment with further opportunities for the artists to develop and flourish.” Elizabeth Lynch, Independent Consultant, Azimganj Residency. The 10 Murshidabad silk scrolls were first presented at the Murshidabad Heritage Festival that hosted the launch of Silk River in Jan 2017. “Thank you for your support and good wishes towards Murshidabad Heritage Festival (MHF) 2017.. From the festival’s roaring success, we managed to carry on Murshidabad Heritage Development Society’s primary objective of preserving, conserving and protecting the rich culture and heritage of Murshidabad.” Pradip Chopra MHDS Artists’ residency to make India scrolls Who created the Indian Scrolls? 4 Kinetika Artists 12 Patachitra Artists 4 Batik artists 2 Clay Doll Makers 2 Kantha Stitching Artists 2 Sara painting artists 4 Future Hope students 15 Fashion/Art Students 17 Students from SRFTI 63 people in total Full credits HERE MHF Festival
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Silk River – Final Report Feb 2018

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