10/21 Sat. - 11/30/2023 Thu. At CALICO : the Bhavan
Workshop information will follow at a later date.
Announcement of workshop on 10/21 Sat. will follow.
Just like poetry and music that have been played by mouth in villages, weaving and dyeing are rapidly disappearing from our sight. If handmade fabrics are like music, then in Bandhani, we sense the sound of bells marking the beginning and end of a piece, or the sound of drums thundering in the air.
In a time when everything is dyed, the work of tie-dyeing achieves its purpose by preserving the undyed parts, which is almost a symbol of handicrafts themselves.
Hand weaving and dyeing works are disappearing rapidly from our sights, just as we lost poetries and music which had been passed down from generation to generation. Bandhani is like a sound of the bell, which spreads to the air when it is played and ended, also like a drum making staccato sounds. It shows its raison d'etre by being “undyed”, when everything is dyed. In a way, Bandhani is a symbol of handcraft as it is.
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To celebrate the holding of “CALICO: the EXHIBITION vol.3 BANDHANI: the TUNES REMAINING UNDYED” and the visit to Japan of SIDR craft Abduljabbar Khatri, we will introduce Bandhani (tying and tying) of the Indian subcontinent.
To celebrate the opening of “CALICO : the EXHIBITION vol.3 BANDHANI : the TUNES REMAINING UNDYED” and Abduljabbar Khatri's visit to Japan, we are introducing Bandhani from India.
Bandhani, a traditional dyed fabric that has been passed down in India for centuries, is one of those fabrics that have long since become rare to see in its original form.
Particularly in the commercial market, when hippie and other countercultures swept the world in the last century, the term was simplified and replaced with the English term "tie-dye," and it was also transformed by the influence of Shibori, a technique that has been passed down in Japan.
Perhaps the biggest influence of all is that the distinctive designs themselves are mass-produced by machine printing.
Nevertheless, the vestiges of Bandhani patterns that women sway as they walk, along with the passing camels and flocks of sheep, are one of the things that soothe the eye and the soul on a trip to Western India.
Bandhani is one of the major traditional fabrics in India, being passed down for centuries, but has been long lost in the daily life. In the commercial market during Hippie boom of the 20th century, it became simplified and recognized just as a “tie-dye”, a symbol of counterculture. It also sometimes transformed by the influence of “Shibori”, which concept and techniques had been established and flourished in Japan.
We believe the largest impact to authentic Bandhani is machine prints substitutes. Despite this fact, it is still a pleasure to see those Bandhani-like designs.... worn and swayed by ladies when they walk, as well as the camels and the crowds of sheep, when we travel into Western India.
In this context, the purpose of this project is to present contemporary Bandani, focusing on SIDR Craft, a project by brothers Abduljabbar Khatri and Abdullah Khatri, who create classical Bandani designs using traditional dyes and art works that go beyond the horizons of Bandani.
In this situation, we would like to present what we can say as Bandhani works today, having SIDR Craft which is run by Abduljabbar Khatri and Abdullah Khatri, who has engaged in classic designs with traditional dye materials, as well as the art works which are using Bandhani and other resist dye techniques.
It all started with the "Kutch: A Treasure Trove of Handcrafted Fabrics" exhibition at Umeda Hankyu in 2018. SIDR Craft introduced their works using the word "shibori," the only Japanese word they knew, so that customers could understand, but many people misunderstood it as an Indian imitation of Japanese shibori. Since then, SIDR Craft and CALICO have made an effort to use the word bandhani instead of shibori. At the same time, we also wanted to know what makes bandhani what it is.
This concept was initiated back in 2018, when we all worked on the “Kutch show” in Osaka at Umeda Hankyu Dept. When SIDR Craft used the word “Shibori” to explain their works (as apparently it was only the word they knew as to explain it in Japanese), it made a confusion that the customers believed they worked on Shibori, just influenced by Japanese techniques. But of course, it was not true. So since then, both SIDR Craft and we CALICO decided to use the word “Bandhani” as much as possible, not “Shibori”. Also, it gave a great chance for us to think about what made “Bandhani” as “Bandhani”.
This time, we will focus on works that SIDR Craft and CALICO have been planning since 2018 after the Kutch Fabric Exhibition and have begun prototyping in 2022, as well as works created by SIDR Craft in collaboration with the Indian brand 11/11 (Mia Morikawa & Himanshu Shani) and works created by textile artist Shiori Mukai in collaboration with SIDR Craft.
Also on display will be works by Studio Medium, a New Delhi-based practicer of sewn dyeing, and Adbul Hadi Safi, a Rajasthan artist who practices Lahariya and Mothara dyeing.
In this exhibition, we will show the series of works for which both SIDR Craft and CALICO have conceptualized since 2018, developing samples since March 2022 and finalized today. Also the other SIDR Craft's goods, which are developed in collaboration with 11/11 (eleven eleven, by Mia Morikawa and Himanshu Shani) and the textile artist Shiori Mukai from Japan will also be present.
Additionally, we are presenting some dress works of Studio Medium, run by Riddhi Jain Satija, who works on Shibori (stitch resist) from New Delhi, and some experimental works of Laharia and Mothara by Abdul Hadi Safi and his family from Rajasthan.
In addition, on Saturday, October 21st, we will be holding a Bandhani workshop with the cooperation of Abdullajabbar Khatri and Oda Hirozora of Indigo Classic in Nara.
The silk fabric (scarf size approx. 100 x 100 cm) dyed yellow with turmeric and pomegranate skin will be tied and dyed with indigo at Indigo Classic's studio. The entire fabric will be green with yellow and indigo blue, and the parts that were dyed to prevent dyeing will remain yellow, but it will be fun to see what color it will be when it is completed.
We are also holding the Bandhani Workshop on Oct 21st, Sat, supported by Abduljabbar Khatri and Oozora Oda from Indigo Classic, Nara.
The program would be that tying silk materials (100 x 100cm scarf size) dyed with Turmeric and Pomegranate Shell into yellow, dying with Indigo at Indigo Classic's studio. Base fabric will be turned into green by mixing yellow and indigo blue, resisted parts by tying will be remained in yellow. We can enjoy the colors to be come out as a surprise.
The meal also includes a vegan curry lunch prepared by Matsumoto Chisa of kitchenwork, a familiar model for CALICO.
Vegan curry lunches by kitchenwork by Chisa Matsumoto, who is known as our model, will be served as a set of programs.
The venues are CALICO: the BHAVAN and Indigo Classic (both in Nara)
The participation fee is 9,900 yen (including tax) (including lunch and materials).
Approximately 8-10 people
Venue: CALICO : the BHAVAN & Indigo Classic (both in Nara)
Fee: 9900 yen (incl. tax and lunch and material fee)
Number of people: 8-10 people at maximum
Oct 21st
10:00- Meeting and explanation
10:30- Demonstration of yellow dyeing (due to time constraints, the actual dyeing will be done the day before) and a hands-on shibori technique (listen to a talk by Abdul-Jabbar Khatri while you try your hand at it)
12:30- Lunch (vegan curry by kitchenwork)
13:30- Move
14:00- Visit to Indigo Classic and indigo dyeing
16:00- Return to CALICO and disband
Oct 21st
10:00- Start at CALICO : the BHAVAN / Explanation
10:30- Demo of Yellow dye (Materials will be dyed the day before), Practice of Tying, having a talk by Abduljabbar Khatri)
12:30- Lunch (Vegan Curry by kitchenwork)
13:30- Moving to Indigo Classic
14:00- Indigo dyeing and a small lecture at Indigo Classic
16:00- Returning back to CALICO, the closure of the event
To apply, please contact CALICOINDIAJP@gmail.com
Please write "Workshop Request" in the subject line and let us know your name, address, and contact information.
Please apply at CALICOINDIAJP@gmail.com with Name and address, contact.
For more information about Bandhani, please see this page .
For more details on Bandani, please see this page.