the study of traditional hand painted kalamkari to design a set of new

Transcription

i
THE STUDY OF TRADITIONAL HAND PAINTED KALAMKARI TO
DESIGN A SET OF NEW AGE PRINTS
BY
POOJA PUROHIT
SUBMITTED TO N.I.F.T. IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OD DESIGN
DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN SPACE
FACULTY GUIDE: PROFESSOR. SHARMILA J. DUA
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY
MUMBAI
2011-2013
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Design Space
National Institute of Fashion technology
Mumbai
2013
THE STUDY OF TRADITIONAL HAND PAINTED KALAMKARI TO DESIGN A SET OF
NEW AGE PRINTS
BY POOJA PUROHIT
M. Des - 2011-2013
Submitted by Ms/Mr……………………………………...…to NIFT in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of Master in Design of the National Institute of Fashion
Technology at Mumbai and hereby certify that in the judgement of the following
members of jury it is worth of acceptance: Name
Institute/Organisation
Signature & Date
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Remarks regarding fulfilling other requirements in any
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Signature of CC - Design Space
Date:
iii
ABSTRACT
Hand Painted Kalamakri also known as the Srikalahasti kalamkari is widely used in
clothing, home décor and lifestyle products today. The first thought that comes to mind
when one refers to Kalamkari clothing is a dupatta, kurta or a saree. It has a certain image
in the minds of youngsters. Apart from it being an expensive textile craft there is also
very little variety in terms of clothing in kalamkari available as dailywear in the market.
Which is why as Sud and Sibichan said “the craft is struggling for survival and and its
patronage amongst the young is dismal.”
The objective of this research is to understand the history and evolution of hand painted
kalamkari and create new age prints. Secondary data was largely collected through books
and also from blogs, newspapers, articles and various websites. To understand the
functioning of the kalamkari industry a visit was paid to Srikalahasti. I met various
artisans and got to see their workshops and their operations. A short term course on
Kalamkari at the Weaver’s Service Center, Hyderabad helped me understand the process
of Kalamkari in depth. The final samples were also developed here at a later stage.
The research was exploratory and the findings were mainly qualitative in nature. To
understand the present kalamkari market I visited a number of stores and spoke to Store
managers, salesmen and customers. This gave me an idea of the kind of products in the
market and their target consumers. Lastly other prints in the market were studied to get an
idea of the current trends.
The market study helped in finalizing a theme for the prints according to the trends.
Samples of these prints were created at The Weaver’s Service Center, Hyderabad. A
catalogue illustrating the application of the prints on casual clothing for youngsters was
created.
The aim of this research was to come up with a design solution that appealed to younger
tastes as well as their pockets. To achieve this a few interventions were made in the
design process. Kalamkari, usually a month long process was reduced to two weeks or
less. The prints designed were an amalgamation of trends with tradition but tried to keep
the essence of the art intact by imparting a message.
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DECLARATION
“The Study Of Traditional Hand Painted Kalamkari To Design A Set Of New Age
Prints” is authentic and original and is the outcome of my contribution and research.
The project was carried out under the guidance of Prof. Sharmila J. Dua at the Post
Graduate Department of Design Space (PGDS), NIFT, Mumbai.
No portion of this work is submitted in support of an application for another degree or
qualification to NIFT or any other university or professional organization.
POOJA PUROHIT
Signature of Student
Place: NIFT, Mumbai
Date:
v
Acknowledgements
I owe my gratitude to a number of people who have contributed to this dissertation
over the last few months. To accomplish the project without their help, guidance
and support seems unimaginable and I will always be indebted to them for it.
My deepest gratitude to Mrs. Sharmila J. Dua for agreeing to be my mentor for
this project. I feel fortunate to have had her knowledgeable inputs and experienced
insights that made each doubtful juncture seem feasible. I thank her for the
freedom she gave me to explore my ideas and for showing faith in the project at its
very nascent stage. Her guidance and support has helped me immensely to work a
vague idea to this accomplished research project.
I wish to show my great appreciation to the faculty team of the PGDS Dept. who
have been ever present to answer our queries and solve our problems. Each of
them with their expertise and varied perspectives helped me look at the project
from various point of views and helped in developing a well rounded outcome.
I am ever indebted to Mr. V. H Kumar, Mr. Kalimuthu, Mr. Vittal Kamthikar, Mr.
Jayram, Mr. Shivaji and Mr. Chari from the Weaver’s Service Center, Hyderabad
for imparting the knowledge of kalamkari, for agreeing to train, for going out of
their way and supervising each and every sample like their own. Their
contribution to the project in terms of time and knowledge has been priceless and I
thank them abundantly for that.
My Sincere thanks to Ms. Dharuni Garikapaty, my industry mentor, for being
patient and considerate with me during the project. Her support and approach
towards situations has helped me keep my sanity through the project. A big thank
you to her for being as understanding and encouraging as she is.
I am grateful to all my friends at NIFT, Mumbai for being such great companions
through the years of this course. I can always turn to them for honest opinions and
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constructive criticism. Through good times and bad they have been my family
away from home and I will always be thankful to them for their unconditional
accompaniment.
Lastly and most importantly to my family who has borne the brunt of my varied
moods and unexpected demands. I dedicate this dissertation to them as they with
me journeyed through all the ups and downs only showering love and words of
encouragement at the end of every tiring day. I would like to express my heart-felt
gratitude to them.
Pooja Purohit
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CHAPTER
1.
CONTENT
PG NO
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Introduction
1
1.2
Objectives
1
1.3
Significance
2
1.4
Limitations
2
2.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1
Introduction to Kalamkari
3
2.2
Origin
3
2.3
Evolution
6
2.4
Downfall
16
2.5
Traditional use of kalamkari
21
2.6
Contemporary use of Kalamkari
22
2.7
Kalamkari Designer Wear
23
2.8
Other Promotional Efforts for Kalamkari
24
3.
RESEARCH & DESIGN METHODLOGY
3.1
Methodology
26
3.2
Schedule
27
4.
FIELD STUDY & ANALYSIS
4.1
Field Study in Sri kalahasti
28
4.2
Visit to Stores Retailing Kalamkari
29
4.3
Visit to Stores to Understand Print Trends
31
4.4
Learning Kalamkari at Weaver’s Service Center, Hyderabad
31
4.5
Process of Kalamkari
32
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FINDINGS & ANALYSIS
5.
5.1
Raw Materials
33
5.2
Production
33
5.3
Designs
33
5.4
Marketing
34
5.5
Accessibility
34
6.
DESIGN EXPLORATION
6.1
Process
35
6.2
Theme
35
6.3
Mood board
36
6.4
Explorations
36
6.5
Final Designs & Applications
37
6.6
Costing
41
6.7
Consumer Feedback
41
7.
CONCLUSION
7.1
Conclusion
42
BIBLIOGRAPHY
IMAGE SOURCES
ANNEXURE
Annexure 1
LIST OF TABLES
Table No.
Table Title
Page No.
Table 1
Schedule
27
Table 2
Costing
41
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CHAPTER 1
1.1 Introduction
Hand painted Kalamkari is an ancient textile printing art that finds its roots in the state of
Andhra Pradesh. Kalam implies pen and kari meas art a name given by the Mughals
when they discovered the art during their reign over the Deccan region. Kalamkari is the
art of drawing and painting with a bamboo pen using natural dyes.
There are two main styles of Kalamkari. The block printed that is practiced in the town of
Machilipatnam and the hand painted style that is largely practiced in the town of
Srikalahasti.
While the block printed kalamkari is commonly seen and used in a variety of lifestyle and
home products the hand painted style is lesser seen. This research is on the hand painted
kalamkari to try and increase its visibility by targeting the younger market.
1.2 Objectives
The main objective of the research is to experiment with the prints in hand painted
Kalamkari that will attract and please the younger generation.
1.3 Sub Objectives
•
To understand the evolution of Kalamkari prints from history to present times
•
To study the Process of Kalamkari
•
To understand the areas in which kalamkari is used
•
To know the market trends in prints
•
To explore the possibilities in Kalamkari
•
To create a range of new age prints
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1.4 Significance of the Project
•
To generate interest amongst the disinterested younger generation
•
To try and make the craft affordable to more people
•
To test and open up new markets within India and outside for the craft/craftsmen
1.5 Limitations of the Study
•
Only limited samples can be made due to the lengthy process and the time
constraint
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Introduction to Kalamkari
Kalamkari is an ancient textile craft of India. It is traditionally hand painted or block
printed on cotton fabric with vegetable dyes. The painted style grew around the Hindu
temples and depicted images of deities and scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata
(mythological epics). The practice of hand painted kalamkari is currently concentrated in
a village called Sri Kalahasti in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The printed style
flowered under the patronage of the Mughals. The widely seen motifs are those inspired
from nature of interlaced leaves, flowers etc. This style is mostly practiced in and around
Machilipatnam in todays times.
2.2 Origin
The textile tradition in India is said to be more than 3000 years old. The Indian silks and
brocades have been famous among the rich around the world but the simple kalamkari on
cotton made a wide impact and revolutionised the textile trade in India in the 18th and 19th
century.
Though the art of dye painting fabrics is known as an ancient tradition in India it is not
certain as to when it all began. A piece of dye painted cloth was found in the remains of
Mohenjo-daro and Harappa and that seems to be the oldest evidence of the existence of
the tradition. Probably the oldest sample available dates back to the 16th century though
some of the best specimens that can be found of the art today are dated back to the 17th
and 18th century. Most of the information known is from the accounts of the travellers
from this period.
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According to Mehta as cited by Havell while he was the superintendent of the Madras
school of Art ‘the quaint illustrations of scenes from Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata, are exact reproductions of the style of Hindu temple sculptures with the
same richness of architectural framework and elaboration of jewellery. But apart from
their interest, the wonderful effect of the arrangement of colour gives them an artistic
value of a higher order.’
Plate 1. Mural inside Sri Rangam Temple, Tamil Nadu
Kalamkari gained popularity as a temple art in the south of India in the Kingdom of
Vijaynagar. It flourished around Hindu temples as supplements for murals in the interiors
of temples. At that time the themes were mainly religious. Minstrels would paint
mythological figures on cloth and wander from place to place singing and spreading the
word of God. It was a part of a popular cult and due to its vast rural base became a
representative of the grass root culture of India.
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Plate 2. 18th century tapestries from Tanjore region depicting scenes from
Ramayana
Plate 3. Very old tapestry from the Kumbakonam region in Tanjore depicting
scenes from Krishna Lila
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Evolution
Simultaneously the art of textile painting and printing also existed in western India in the
states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. ‘From contemporary trade records it appears that the
principal cotton painting centres in the 16th and 17th century were Burhanpur in
Khandesh, Sironj in Rajputana (now M.P), Agra, Petaboli and Palakollu on the Golconda
sea board and certain towns like Kalahasti in hinterland of Madras.’ Das ( 1992)
Plate 4. Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh.
late 18th century, block printed,
Plate 5. Northwest India
17th century, block printed, mordant dyed,
mordant dyed, resist dyed cotton
resist dyed cotton
Plate 6. Northern Deccan, Late 18th- early 19th
Century Block printed, mordant dyed,
resist dyed cotton
Plate 7. Masulipatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Late 18th – early 19th century, block
printed, mordant dyed, resist dyed
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The interconnection of the western and deccan styles took place only later in the early
16th century when the Mughals subjugated the Vijaynagar Kingdom. The painting
tradition did not have a specific name until the Sultans of Golconda discovered the art.
They gave it the name Kalamkari, ‘kalam’ meaning pen and ‘kari’ implying art. The
Golconda region of southern India became known for the finest painted cottons. These
were traded through the port of Masulipatnam to Western and South East Asia before the
Europeans. The ruling king of Golconda court, Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah (A.D. 15801611) was of Persian origin. A lot of Persians were settled in the region at that point and
the king carried out the court in the Persian Safavid style.
Plate 8. 1630 A.D. Large cotton floor spread or cover painted in the Kingdom of Golconda.
Persian carpet style border. Courtier wearing Persian style costume.
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It was not just a textile craft but reflected the changes that took place in the society. As
Ramani aptly says ‘the study of this textile design tradition brings to light the evolution
and change that took place in the lives of Indian people. Its origin as a religious tapestry,
the folk beliefs that shaped it, the transformation under Muslim rule as secular craft and
finally as a flourishing item of trade under the British, when international market
demands left its impress on the Indian base fabric, making it a fabric of true historical
value.’
During the sixteenth century a lot of internal warfare between the Marathas, Mughals and
the Rajputs influenced the art in many different ways. Kalamkari evolved into a new
decanni style after the invasion of the Mughals. It also took in the attributes of miniature
paintings under Ibrahim Adil Shah (1580-1627) of Bijapur. As the Persians settled in the
Golconda region imported large numbers of Chinese porcelain, a Chinese influence was
also seen in the Golconda school of Kalamkari.
Kalamkari was given different names by different parts of the world. ‘The Portuguese
termed in ‘Pintado’ (printed or spotted), the Dutch named it Sit (painted) and the English
referred to it as Chintz.’ Das (1992)
In the 17th century, Kalamkari saw a rise in demand from the Mughals, Persians, Dutch as
well as the British. ‘The kalamkari fabrics of India with jewel bright colours, printed and
painted in fascinating and intricate designs caught the fancy of women in England and
France and became the fashion for daily wear.’ Ramani(2007). What attracted them the
most was the ‘brilliant colouring, undimmed by repeated washes, the light texture and
drape of the fabric, and it’s strength and durability were a unique and unprecedented
combination, rendering the cloths suitable for a variety of uses’ Chisti & Jain (2000)
But the originality of the kalamkari prints did not last for long. ‘In order to make the trade
more profitable in Europe, some modifications of traditional Indian patterns and motifs
were necessary to suit the western taste. As early as 1640s London Directors proposed
modifications to suit home taste and after 1660 specimens of European Musters began to
be sent regularly to the factors to guide the craftsmen. Hence a school of hybridized motif
patterns with a happy blending of western, Persian and purely indigenous elements
evolved, which proved more fanciful and appealing to the western taste.’ Das (1992)
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It was the same case with the South East Asian market. ‘With the south east asian
markets, specific orders catering to regional tastes were essential for successful trade’
Crill (2006)
Plate 9.
A door curtain,
typically
Iranian. Big
central leaf
called Pandu
embellished
with floral
motifs with
mihrabs on
either sides.
Flora and
fauna play an
important part
in Kalamkarilike the tiger
deer and
peacock
inspired by the
mughals, to
express their
love for wild
life in India.
‘Those for Mohammedan use generally depict the mihrab, the niche or arched recess in
the western wall of an Indian mosque and towards which the worshippers turn for
prayer.’ Mehta (1994
xviii
The scene depicted here is a part of a large composition of festive groups of courtiers and
their companions within an architectural framework simulating a domed palace, the
whole scheme
having a close
affinity to
mural
paintings.
The lower
illustration
shows two
Dutchmen
relaxing with
two Indian
girls with
festival
garlands
hanging from
the ceiling.
Plate. 10
xix
Plate 11. Coromandel coast. 1770-80 The increased angularity of the trees and branches
and the use of bamboo like leaves in the border meander are typical of the Chinese
influence on the chintz designs.
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Plate 12. Coromandel Coast-1800. The colour palette of shades with red and violet, and
no indigo is unusual for chints made for the western market, but more typical of those
made on the southern coromandel coast for export to Sri Lanka.
xxi
Plate 13. Coromandel coast-1750-60. The unusual design of crossed palm trees may
have been for the French market.
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Plate 14. Coromandel Coast -1710-1725. This hanging combines the formal design
popularised by the French designer Jean Berain seen in the main border and central
medallion, with naturalistic flowers in the Mughal style in the field. The Berain type
designs were more popular in in France then Britain or Netherlands.
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Plate 15. Coromandel coast-1750-70. This piece has has a quirky and light hearted air,
with its open field and unusual border design of feathery leaves, tiny hillocks and curious
edging motif of stylised wine glasses and trees.
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Downfall
‘As early as 1670s complaints had started to be heard from English weavers about the
influx of cotton from India, by 1696 dyers and linen drapers had joined the protest. 5000
English weavers mobbed the House of Commons in a mass protest against Indian
imported goods. Finally in 1701 a law was passed forbidding the import of Indian dyed or
printed cottons and silks into Britain, except for re-export.’ Crill (2008)
This was the beginning of the downfall of Kalmkari. There are many other reasons why
kalamkari declined so drastically among all other fabric crafts of India. One of the early
reasons was the establishment of the European cotton Industry in the eighteenth century.
Workers were thrown into punery and master craftsmen died without heir to their trade
secrets. Also the rise of the batik industry in Indonesia in the 19th century lead to India’s
loss of market for the cloth. (Gillow and Barnard, 1991)
Dr. Bhatnagar (2011) opines “So clothed in ritual and superstition was this craft that for
many years it was restricted to only a handful of practitioners and the technique was a
closely guarded secret. Unfortunately many a traditional craftsman has taken this
jealously guarded secret with him to his grave and no written records are available of the
techniques employed and the colour yielding plants used by him in his work. This has
been mainly responsible for the decline of this beautiful art form and we have now barely
a dozen dye recipes in the place of over a hundred which existed before.”
One could attribute the downfall of Kalamkari to its long and tedious process which in
today’s times also turns out to be expensive as natural dyes are not easily available
anymore. While the dyeing process takes around a month the preparation to start dyeing
is even longer. Each dye has to be prepared from various materials. For instance the black
is “made by soaking hoop iron bits in a solution of jiggery (Molasses) and water in a mud
pot. The solution takes about twenty days to mature when it is decanted”. (Bhatnagar,
2011). Similar is the case with the other dyes as well. Bhatnagar (2011) also mentions
“The influx of cheap chemical dyes drove the final nail in the coffin and Kalamkari
craftsmen these days are only too eager to reach out to the readily available artificial dyes
for quick and easy production of temple cloth”
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The adaptability of the artisans as well as the art has become very evident with the above
samples of Kalamkari from the 17th and 18th century. While there is a lot of material on
the history of the kalamkari fabric and its evolution, the academic literature on the
kalamkari market and its current products is very scarce. ‘While the evolution and
dispersal of dye-painted trade goods are well recorded, there is less evidence of a parallel
development in the tradition of narrative hangings for courts and temples in south India.
The only surviving links appear to be the nineteenth century temple cloths of Palakollu,
Madura and Srikalahasti.’ Chisti & Jain (2000)
‘The Kalamkari temple cloths had strong symbolism and bold colours which did not
appeal to the tastes of the Europeans. Compared to the delicate chints paintings these
were considered rough and crude. The famous community of temple cloth painters
however was still active, and the kalamkari illustrating scenes from Ramayana was
shown at the Indian & colonial Exhibition in London in 1886. Of the 19th century
community of temple cloth painters, in 1915 Hadaway noted with grave concern that only
man was still working.’ Sethna
The period from 1924 up to Independence and beyond saw the near disappearance of the
industry at Musalipatnam. At the same time at Kalahasti temple patronage declined and
the local land lords lost wealth and power of patronage. In 1952 Kalamkari was revived
at Masulipatnam at the instigation of some local textile lovers and with the help of the All
India Handicrafts board. The kalamkari as used and made in Iran was taken as model. In
1958 All India Handicraft board set up a training course and school for kalamkari
workers, drawing on skills of few remaining kalamkari workers. (Gillow and Barnard,
1991)
While there is a lot of material on the history of the kalamkari fabric and its evolution, the
academic literature on the kalamkari market and its current products is very scarce. The
textile industry in India is one of the core sources of income for the economy. Rangarajan
says “Textile industry is one of the main pillars holding the Indian Economy. It
xxvi
constitutes about 14 percent of industrial production, 20 percent of total export earnings,
4 percent of GDP and direct employment to an estimated 35 million people. In spite of
these, India’s entire share in the world textiles trade is still maintained at around 3
percent. Mills, power-looms and handlooms constitute three independent sectors of the
Indian Textiles Industry.”
The Handicraft Industry provides employment to innumerable people across rural and
urban India, not only to artisans but also designers, activists etc. But the drawback is that
the industry is quite unorganised since it is cottage based and decentralised. According to
Hashmi (2012) “The Handicraft sector has, however, suffered due to its being
unorganized, with the additional constraints of lack of education, low capital, and poor
exposure to new technologies, absence of market intelligence, and a poor institutional
framework.”
Hence it should be a job of the design professionals to identify the problems and try and
invent and create methods that would boost the industry.
Anand (2012) in her article in The Hindu about Vivek Karunakarns innovation in
Kalamkari commences by saying “Kalamkari comes with certain stereotypical images.
Perhaps as a sari or dupatta. Or maybe as a salwar-kurta set or the intrepid have made
blouses out of them. It is a fabric that has met with little innovation and the stereotypes
haven't helped.”
Fashion in India is probably the most commonly taken path to employ crafts in order to
increase their popularity. Sud and Sibichan in their paper say “There has of late been a
shift to a more inclusive partnership between design and artisan community and clearer
focus towards pushing the boundaries in fashion by exploring form, surface and material
going beyond pure aesthetics.”
Many professionals have tried to incorporate kalamkari in fashion in order to increase its
popularity amongs the young, but in vain. Vivek Karunakarn is one such designer who
has tried to give Kalamkari a western look to make it more appealing to the youngsters in
xxvii
his collection for the Kochi International Fashion Week called “Tres chic” which is an
amalgamation of kalamkari and grunge. He has incorporated kalamkari in western
garments but not played around much with the prints. Vivek in an interview with Anand
says “We have attempted to give the fabric an international never before done look.
Tunics must be the closest the fabric has come to looking different.”
Any kind of change and innovation is always better than no change at all. So all efforts
made to promote any craft are always appreciated. But the efforts are not always fruitful,
like in the case of kalamkari. While Sud and Sibichan talk about the numerous efforts
being made to incorporate kalamkari as ceiling art and other innovative manners they
also point out that “the craft is struggling for survival and its patronage amongst the
young is dismal.”
The fashion industry is growing more than ever before in India. With the culture of fast
fashion coming in rapidly it is necessary to tap into this opportunity where consumers are
more than willing to spend on anything that they like. The size of fashion industry in
India is worth INR 1542.5 Billion state according to India Retail Report, 2010, as
summarised by Sud and Sibichan. They go on to discuss how the “sheer scale of the
industry makes it important enough for the Government to not ignore its importance. The
scale of stakeholders and women in particular, involved in this industry from a cotton
grower to a consumer is wide. Its impact on the economy therefore cannot be ignored. Its
growing economic strength, rising household income, expanding middle class of
consumers with high aspirations and increased discretionary spending power, large
segment of population belonging to the age group of less than thirty has created visible
shifts in the way fashion is perceived and consumed.”
While craft is being viewed as fashionable, it also needs to be made affordable. While
there is more liquidity in cash flow among the youngsters these days, it would be
xxviii
beneficial for kalamkari to adapt and bring about some contemporary changes in its
appearance. It could be a turning point for the fabric in the industry and could change the
lives of so many artisans involved in the craft.
It is really important to identify the buying market and promote the craft accordingly. If
the spending consumer is of a young age group it would be clever to mould a craft to suit
their taste. If one aims to promote the craft not just in the domestic market but also
international then the changes brought about can be such that suit both. It is our role as a
designer to keep track of market trends and bring about changes that will accelerate the
growth. As Ghouse (2012) explains “An important aspect of successful handicraft
marketing is the positioning of the products in the marketplace.” In a survey conducted
by Ghouse (2012) the results showed that “85 percent cited market awareness and the
poor infrastructure as the major export related problems which are a few of the major
reasons for India’s low export share in the international handicraft market. Poor
infrastructure includes frequent power failures, high cost of power, inferior Inland
Container Depot (ICD) and rail transportation facilities, poor quality of roads, improper
port facilities, etc as compared to other competing nations which makes the buyer
interest shift from India to other exporting countries who are better developed
infrastructural than India.” But the Indian handicraft industry is such that requires low
capital investment. It is easier to bring about a change as cheap labour is available. “The
handicraft sector is highly creative sector and produces large variety of crafts products.
This industry is localized segment of the domestic and international market. In India the
production of craft products are done on both large and small scale. Because of low
capital investment people can start their business on small scale. Through this flexibility
the demand and supply can be managed. Though Indian handicraft industry is considered
a cottage industry, but it has evolved as one of the major revenue generator over the
years. There has been consistent growth of 15% over few years and the industry has
evolved as one of the major contributor for export and foreign revenue generation.”
(Ghouse, 2012)
xxix
Ramanni (2007) ‘Kalamkari designs pertaining to different periods in history presented a
pictorial record of the changing face of the society through the ages.’ In this project I
propose to reflect the current society in the pictorial images on kalamkari to give it a new
age look.
Traditional Use of Kalamkari
The oldest use of Kalamkari is that of a Wall hanging. But apart from that it was first
adapted into traditional Indian Clothing such as Sarees, Dupattas and Kurtas.
Plate 16. A Hand Painted Kalamkari Wall
Hanging
Plate 17. Hand Painted Kalamkari
Dupattas
Plate 18. Hand Painted Kalamkari Kurta
xxx
Contemporary Use of kalamkari
Kalamkari today is used in a wide range of home and lifestyle products, accessories and
clothing in a more contemporary manner.
Plate 19. Storage boxes
Plate 21. Wedding card
Plate 20. Cushions covers
Plate 22. Gift Tags
Plate 24. Summer Dress
Plate 26. Bag
Plate 27. Vest
Plate 21. Clutch
Plate 23. Bag charms
Plate 25. Lamp
xxxi
Kalamkari Designer Wear
Plate 28. Kalamkari apparel by Asmita Marwa(2008)
Plate 29. Gaurang
Plate 30. Neeta Lulla
Plate 32. Nishka Lulla
Plate 33. Shashikant Naidu
Plate 31. Vivek Karunakaran
Plate 34. UDD
xxxii
Other Promotional Efforts for Kalamkari
Plate 34.
Book
illustrations
done using
Kalamkari
Plate 35. Kalamkari illustration used for Volswagen Advertisement
xxxiii
Plate 36. Kalamkari Ceiling art
Ceiling created using panels of Kalamkari by Y-Wall Designs for The Park HotelHyderabad
xxxiv
CHAPTER 3
Research Design and Methodology
3.1 Methodology
The research conducted was of exploratory and experimental nature. The research was
done to study the state of hand painted kalamkari in the market. Though there is ample
literature available on the history and evolution of kalamkari, there is very little
information available on the current situation. Thus the exploratory method was chosen
to find out the details and bring about a change in the designs.
The nature of data collected was unstructured and qualitative. The information found was
not certain since such a research on kalamkari was not conducted earlier.
The first step of the research was to understand the process of Kalamkari. This was done
by visiting Srikalahasti and observing the artisans work. Informal interviews,
documenting the craft, examining the designs were also a part of the process.
The second stage was to conduct a market study of the way kalamkari has been used in
various products. This was done by visiting stores that are known to sell traditional as
well as contemporary kalamkari products. The products in these stores were reviewed
and price points were noted. Unstructured interviews were conducted of the employees of
the store asking them questions related to target customers, foot fall, fast selling products
etc
A study of print trends in the market was also conducted. Again various stores were
visited to understand the kind of prints available in women’s casual clothing.
After studying the various aspects like the process, market with respect to kalamkari and
market with respect to other print trends a theme was finalized.
Next stage was to develop sample prototypes. This involved creating designs and
implementing them on the fabric. The original process of using the kalam and natural
dyes was followed. This was the most important part as it was the deciding factor for the
success of the research.
xxxv
The final stage is the preparation of a thesis. Initially a rough draft was prepared and
submitted to the mentor for her perusal. The conclusions and analysis were supported
with relevant data and proof. Then the final document will be submitted that would act as
a resource for kalamkari contemporisation.
3.2 Schedule
The entire research was covered in a period of 4 months. The research included field
study, sampling and documentation of thesis.
Stages
Duration
Secondary data collection
½ month
Market research and filed study
1 month
Creating designs
½ month
Developing sample prototypes
1 ½ month
Final thesis preparation and documentation
½ month
Table 1. Schedule of Dissertation
xxxvi
CHAPTER 4
FIELD STUDY AND ANALYSIS
4.1 Field Study in Sri Kalahasti
Sri Kalahasti is a small temple town near the foot hills of Tirupati, around 550 kms from
the city of Hyderabad. It is located on the banks of the river Swarnamukhi. The economy
of the town mainly revolves around tourism as many a tourists who visit the Tirumala
temple also pay a visit to the Sri kalahasti temple, making it the second most famous
temple in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is home to hundreds of Kalamkari Artisans thus
being a hub for hand painted Kalamkari.
The purpose of the visit was to understand the working culture and approach of the
artisans towards the art today. Artisans were met and some allowed us to visit their work
shops as well.
Visit to Sri Kalahasti gave me a chance to meet the local artisans. Some of the artists
interacted with were Mr. J. Niranjan, Mr. Dasarata Chari, Mr. Munni Raghavulu and
Vijaya Lakshmi.
Mr. J Niranjan an award winning master craftsman was broad minded and well informed
about the urban kalmakari market and has dene some contemporary kalamkari work.
Mr. Dasarata Chari was into mass production of kalamkari with a big retail shop in the
town. A tour of his workshop gave the understanding that he was liberal about using
unnatural colours, though his designs were pretty traditional in nature.
Mr. Munni Raghavulu and Mrs. Vijay Lakshmi had small scale units consisting of 8-10
members that functioned on the basis of orders and followed the traditional painting and
dyeing process.
Interactions with these artists gave me an insight into their work ethics and their style of
designs. They were all very open and willing to help in making the samples as long as
there was an assurance of further orders.
xxxvii
4.2 Visit to Stores Retailing Kalamkari
A number of stores that were involved with Hand Painted Kalamkari were toured to get
an understanding of the kind of Kalamkari products, the target age groups and the prices
at which the products were sold. These stores can be divided into two categories. Ones
that had in house production units and ones that sourced from individual artisans or other
units.
STORES
VISITED
OBSERVATIONS
Type of Production: Sourced from artisan units.
Fabindia
Type of Designs: Traditional
Type of Products: hand bags, clutches, stoles, dupattas, kurtas.
Price Range: Rs. 1000 – Rs. 5000
Target Customers: women aged 20 and above
Type of Production: In house production unit
Creative Bee Type of designs: Experimental and off beat as well as traditional
Type of Products: Indo western clothing, kurtas, dupattas, sarees, stoles,
yardage
Price Range: Rs. 1500 – Rs. 25,000
Dwaraka
Type of designs: Very Traditional
Type of Products: Indo western clothing, kurtas, dupattas, sarees, stoles.
Price Range: Rs. 250 – Rs. 15,000
Type of Production: Sourced from artisan units
95 Parklane
Type of Products: Chudidar sets, Sarees, Blouses, Kurtas
xxxviii
Type of Production: Sourced from artisans by orders
Kalanjali
Type of Products: Sarees, dupattas
Kalam
Creations
Type of designs: Very Traditional hand painted kalamkari
Type of Products: Sarees, dupattas
Dastakar
Andhra
Type of designs: Traditional block printed
Type of Products: Chudidar sets, Sarees, Blouses, Kurtas
Best Hands
India
Type of Production: Sourced from artisan units
Type of designs: Traditional hand painted kalamkari
Type of Products: Wallets, Pouches, Potlis, Stoles, Dupattas
A visit to the above mentioned stores gave a clear idea of the kind of market that
kalamkari caters to. It was observed that the products available only appealed to women
aged 25 or more. Apart from Creative Bee there was no store that was clearly targeting a
younger age group through prints. But the Creative Bee price points seemed too high and
unaffordable for regular wear.
The conclusion drawn was that the variety available for youngsters aged 15-25 was
dismal. This study helped in developing the design collection at a later stage.
xxxix
4.3 Study of Print trends in the Market
The market study of prints was done by visiting stores famous for casual youth clothing.
Multi-brand stores like Shopper’s Stop, Lifestyle, Westside and Max that widely catered
to the youth were visited to understand the present print trends.
Plate 37. Collage of most common prints available in stores
After the analysis of prints available it was observed that quirky nature prints were in
style. Among the nature prints, birds seemed to be the predominant graphics. This study
helped in finalizing the theme for the designs to be created.
4.4 Kalamkari Practice at the Weaver’s Service Center
On paying a visit to the Wearver’s Service Center, Hyderabad it was learnt that
Kalamkari is practiced and taught on a small scale to those interested. Mr. Kalimuthu was
very helpful walked me throught the printing and dyeing section. Mr. V. H. Kumar who
handles the Printing & Dyeing department suggested that they would help in making
samples.
xl
4.5 Kalamkari Process
Step 1: Boiling or Scouring. This
is done to remove fats, wax, & dirt
from the hand woven cotton.
Step 2: The cloth is then soaked in
myrobolan for a night and dried
and treated with milk.
Step 3: Drawing outlines in black.
The cloth is dried, washed and
treated with milk.
Step 4: Alum is applied and treated
in Alzharine. Then dried and treated
with milk.
Step 5: Indigo is applied,
followed by drying, washing
& milk treatment.
Step 6: Yellow is applied
followed by drying, washing
& milk treatment
Step 7: Green is obtained
by application of yellow
on blue.
This 5 colour process takes about 3 weeks as every drying-washing cycle take 3-4 days.
xli
CHAPTER 5
FINDINGS
5.1 Raw Material
Traditional Hand Painted Kalamkari was always done on hand woven cotton. But today it
is being adapted on a variety of materials such as georgette, crepe, chiffon, silk etc. Even
a variety of cottons such as chanderi or kota can be used. Kalamkari is being combined
with other crafts such as embroidery work, badla work, zardosi work and so on. The
latest trend of ‘net’ sarees is also seen in combination with kalamkari.
5.2 Production
Kalamkari is being mainly practiced in Sri Kalahasti with scattered practices in Tamil
Nadu. There are more than 250 families practicing the art of Hand Painted kalamkari.
And this number is ever growing as NGOs like Dwarka and Kalam creation artisan
Association are constantly making efforts to increase the awareness for the art by
organizing training programmes for people below poverty levels.
Most of the production happens in large production units with 4-5 people working on one
piece as opposed to the traditional method of every piece being a piece of self expression
for the individual artisan.
There are only 3-4 families that individually practice Kalamkari in the state of Andhra
Pradesh.
5.3 Designs
The motifs seen today are mostly related to nature, birds animals and leaves interlacing
through the width of the fabric. ‘Tree of Life’ and peacocks are most common. The most
recent trend is that of wearing mythological figures on dupattas and sarees. Earlier it was
considered disrespectful to make mythological figures on clothing.
The colours used today are much brighter which indicates they may not necessarily be
natural. This change is seen mostly in the mass produced kalamkaris and not those made
by individual artisans.
xlii
5.4 Marketing
Due to its pricing and marketing kalamkari comes across as a fabric only the rich can
afford. Most of the products available cater to an older age group as well. Hence it’s
awareness amongst the younger generation is dismal unless they are passed on the
knowledge from some elders in the family or peers. It is required that the youth is
specifically targeted in order to gain their attention.
5.5 Accessibility
Most stores stock block printed kalamkari and very little hand painted Kalamkari. It is
only now that specific shops in Hyderabad are specializing in hand painted kalamkari
products. It is no surprise that the younger generation that is not interested and informed
in arts and crafts is pretty clueless about its existence.
The exploratory market research proved that Kalamkari prints are being utilized
contemporarily yet not many products are targeted to the youth. Kalamkari being a
lengthy procedure and thus expensive seems unsuitable for younger pockets.
Keeping current print trends for youth in mind a theme was finalized and
experimentations and explorations in kalamkari were done so as to innovate with prints
and control costs.
xliii
CHAPTER 6
DESIGN PROCESS & EXPLORATIONS
6.1 Process
The main objective of this project is to come up with new age kalamkari prints that can
be applied on western outfits that will appeal to the youth.

The process of kalamkari was first understood by visiting artisan’s workshops and
from practical training at the Weaver’s Service Center, Hyderabad.

Different fabrics like georgette, crepe and cotton were used for the explorations

Instead of the traditional 4-5 colour process, 2 colour or 3 colour and also single
colour design explorations were done to try and reduce time and cost of
production.

A theme for the designs was finalized on the basis of a market study of present
print trends in youth clothing.

Mood board was made where kalamkari birds were juxtaposed with quirky
graphics and prints to generate ideas.

Stages of sample development

Engineered prints were considered so that only the required areas would be
painted for final products to reduce wastage as well as to make the process faster.
6.2 Theme
Birds in the city: The market study, trend study and observations helped in finalizing the
theme. While it was wanted that the new prints reflect the quirky trend in the market but
the essence of Kalamkari i.e reflecting the happenings in the society dint want to be lost.
Birds were shown in the backdrop of manmade, urban structures.
xliv
6.3 Moodboard
The idea was to juxtapose kalamkari birds with urban surroundings as seen today. Thus
inspiration was taken from pictures like frames, windows, electric wires, cages etc
6.4 Explorations
Design explorations were made with birds placed against various manmade structures
seen in day to day life. This made for quirky prints yet gave out a message of birds
beingendangered in the city, keeping the story telling aspect of kalamkari alive.
Plate 38.
Design
Sketches
xlv
6.5 FINAL DESIGNS
Sample 1.
Design of birds on electric wires applied on a jumpsuit
Sample 2.
Birds in cages design applied on an ankle length skirt
xlvi
Sample 3.
Bird danglers on trees design applied on a cotton peplum top
Sample 4.
Birds drinking from water bowls design applied on a long skirt
xlvii
Sample 5.
Birds in frames design applied on a casual colour block top
Sample 6.
Birds on windows design applied on a summer dress
xlviii
Sample 7.
Birds on a tree without leaves applied on a casual dress
Sample 8.
Birds on a barbed wire fence applied on a short top
xlix
6.6 Costing
Material
Size
Price
Cost of Kalamkari
Total Price
Cotton
1 mtr
Rs 80/mtr
Rs 200/ mtr
380/mtr
Georgette
1 mtr
Rs 400/mtr
Rs 200/ mtr
600/mtr
Crepe
1 mtr
Rs 400/mtr
Rs 200/ mtr
600/mtr
Table 2. Costing
The price of printing the cloth is reduced when the designs are engineered. Only the
required area is painted, thus avoiding wastage of material as well as time. For instance if
only one fourth of a meter is used in a garment then the painting cost would also come
down to one fourth making the overall price much cheaper.
6.7 Consumer Feedback
An online survey was conducted where the prints and their application were shown to a
group of 30 people between the age of 20-25 yrs. They were asked to vote for designs
that they would wear and would want to see in the market. 24 out of 30 people responded
well to the prints. Such positive responds to the designs shows that there could be a larger
market for such prints.
l
CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSION
7.1 Conclusion
This dissertation was started with the idea of bringing about innovation in Kalamkari
Prints. On exploring the market and upon secondary research it was observed that many
industry experts resonate the fact that it is not well known amongst youngsters. Thus
began the project of creating prints targeted towards the youth.
During the research and design process it was found that the field of contemporisation
had been saturated by many a designers. But in spite of that none had tried to create any
design interventions in the prints. The most that had been done was changing the
proportions and placements of traditional prints.
Also in spite of the all the contemporary wear created out of kalamkari, it remained heavy
on the pockets and was unaffordable by the youngsters. As daily wear one could only
find a stole or a kurti in the market.
It was so decided that the designs would be youth centric and affordable. Designs were
created taking a theme of birds. Birds were depicted against manmade objects giving it a
quirky appearance.
Colours were restricted to 2 or 3 rather than the traditional 5 colour designs. This gave
the kalamkari a quaint look. The colours and technique used were traditional as the
ultimate aim is to be able to open up markets for the craftsmen.
Through this dissertation an ancient art form was studied and adapted with newer trends,
keeping the technique intact. The study stands as a documentation of how art can be
adapted for various markets without necessarily intervening with traditional practices.
It acts as a resource for any future designer wanting to explore kalamkari technique and
motifs and also for artists who wish to explore younger markets.
li
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Mehta, R. The Handicrafts and Industrial Arts of India. 1st ed. Taraporewala
Treasure House of Books. Pg 124, 125.
2. Mehta, R. 1994. Masterpieces of Indian Textiles. 3rd ed. D. B. Taraporewala Sons
& Co. Private Ltd.
3. Das, S. 1992. Fabric Art Heritage of India. Abhinav Publications. Pg 44-56.
4. Ramani, S. 2007. Kalamkari and Traditional Design Heritage of India. Wisdon
Tree.
5. Chisti, R. Jain, R. 2000. Tradition and Beyond- Handcrafted Indian Textiles.
Lustre Press, Roli books.
6. Crill, R. 2006. Textiles from India- The global Trade. Seagull Books. Pg 57-79.
7. Crill, R. 2008. Chintz-Indian Textiles for the West. V & A publishing in
association with mapin Publishing.
8. Sethna, N. Homeage to Kalamkari. Marg Publications
9. Hatanaka, K. 1996. Textile Arts of India. Chronicle Books.
10. Gillow, J. Barnard, N. 1991. Traditional Indian Textiles. 1st ed. London: Thames
and Hudson Ltd.
11. Rangarajan. Case study Tirupur. United Nations Industrial Development
Organisation. Pg 2-3
12. Dr. Bhatnagar, P. 2011. Kalamkari: Painted printed textile of India. Pg 1-3
13. Hashmi, S K, 2012. Market for Indian Handicraft. Excel Journal of Engineering
Technology and Management Science, Vol 1, 1.
14. Shilpa Nair Anand. 2012. Kalamkari Turns Chic. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fashion/article3377393.ece. [Accessed 04
December 12].
15. Sud, S. Sibichan, K M. 2011. Tradition Fashion Interplay: An Imperative For
Identity And Continuity. [Online] Available At:
Http://Process.Arts.Ac.Uk/Sites/Default/Files/Sud-Shalini-Tradition-FashionInterplay.Pdf. [Accessed 05 December 12].
lii
16. Ghouse, S M, 2012. Indian Handicraft Industry: Problems And Strategies.
International Journal Of Management Research And Review , Volume 2/Issue
7/Article No-8, 1183-1199.
17. http://www.ywalls.com/ruby-ceiling-space.html
liii
IMAGE SOURCE
1.
Plate 1: ‘Kalamkari & Traditional design heritage of India’ by Shakuntala Ramani
2.
3.
4.
Plate 4: ‘Textile arts of India’ Kokyo Hatanaka Colelction
5.
6.
7.
8.
Plate 8: ‘Homeage to Kalamkari’ Nelly Sethna
9.
Plate 9: ‘Homeage to Kalamkari’ Nelly Sethna
10. Plate 10: ‘Homeage to Kalamkari’ Nelly Sethna
11. Plate 11: ‘Chintz-Indian Textiles for West’ Rosemary Crill
16. Plate 16: www.exoticindia.com
17. Plate 17: Self Clicked
18. Plate 18: iammydesigner.com
19. Plate 19: www.dwaraka.com
20. Plate 20: www.anek.com
21. Plate 21: www.fabindia.com
22. Plate 22: www.behance.net/radhikaganju
23. Plate 23: www.puregheedesigns.com
24. Plate 24: www.crow.com
25. Plate 25: afleetingglimpse.wordp ress.com
26. Plate 26: www.newdelhiimpex.in
27. Plate 27: www.tractorsupply.com
28. Plate 28: www.lakmefashionweek.com
34. Plate 34: www.udd/facebook.com
35. Plate 35: www.etsy.com
36. Plate 36: http://www.ywalls.com/ruby-ceiling-space.html
37. Plate 37: self clicked
38. Plate 38: self clicked
liv
ANNEXURE
lv
APPENDIX I
Marketing : 2008-09
SIPA
PROCESSING OF KALAMKA
RI PRINT CLOTH FROM SOUTH INDIA
Designing is done by Hand drawing and it is
pasted on the strong Wood for Block Making
for Printing.
Wooden Block Making – 100% Hand Carved
designs based on the design sketch given by
the designers.
lvi
Few sample of Wooden Blocks available in
the display stand for ready to use.
See the particular design of Wooden Block
in three various colour combination of
printing.
Washing of Raw-Cloth with Natural
Bleaching to remove the starch from the
Cloth for preparation.
Washing of Raw-Cloth with Natural
Bleaching to remove the starch from the
Cloth for preparation.
lvii
Drying the Washed cloth in the open Air
Field.
Drying the Washed cloth in the open Air
Field.
After dried the cloth preparation of
Myrobalam ( Natural Seed ) dying for base
colour of the cloth observation.
After dried the cloth preparation of
Myrobalam ( Natural Seed ) dying for base
colour of the cloth observation.
lviii
After the treatment of Myrobalam colour
observation it is ready for drying.
Myrobalam dyed cloth is dried in the field
with open Air.
Dried cloth is taken for first printing with
Wooden Blocks with Natural Colours.
lix
Out line design
printing with Wooden
Blocks with Natural Colours.
Out line design printing with Wooden
Blocks with Natural Colours.
See the location of Block Printing work
place.
lx
place.
place.
place.
After finished the first Printing of the Cloth
it is taken to the River for running water to
wash the cloth.
lxi
After finished the first Printing of the Cloth it
is taken to the River for running water to
wash the cloth.
After finished the first Printing of the Cloth
it is taken to the River for running water to
wash the cloth.
After finished the first Printing of the Cloth it
is taken to the River for running water to
wash the cloth.
lxii
Washed cloth is dried in the open Air field.
Washed cloth is dried in the open Air field.
Dried cloth is taken for the Boiling with Jagi
leafs & Algrin to move the dust from the
cloth and colour fixation of the colour that
we need.
lxiii
we need.
we need.
we need.
lxiv
After boiling the cloth it is taken for the
drying in the open Air field.
Once the cloth is dried it is again taken for
the second colour printing with wooden
Blocks.
Once the cloth is dried it is again taken for
the second colour printing with wooden
Blocks.
lxv
Once the second colour printing is over it is
again taken to the River for the running
water washing.
After wash the cloth it is given for the
treatment of colour fixing with Alumn
mixed water.
Once the Alumn treatment is given it is again
washed in the River for the running water
condition.
After washed the cloth it is dried in the
open Air field.
lxvi
NOW THE LOVELY NATURAL KALAMKARI
CLOTH IS READY FOR USE FOR ANY
PURPOSE.
Cloth is READY for use like :









Dress Materials.
Scarf’s in various sizes.
Curtains in various sizes.
Table Cloths.
Bed Spreads.
Table Runners & Place Mats.
Cushion & Pillow Covers.
Sarongs.
Raw-material for any use of Jewellery , Lampshades , Lovely bags etc.
Actual width: 112 cm width is available in three varieties of cloth.
PL.Ramasamy
Date : 21st APRIL2009
Manager Marketing
lxvii
“SIPA”
ABOUT KALAMKARI
The word Kalamkari literally means ‘Pen Work’. ‘Kalam’ (Persian) means Pen and ‘Kari’
means Work.
Kalam (Pen) + Kari (Work) = KALAMKARI.
The Kalamkari Cloth was called by different names by different people.
The Portuguese called it as "PINTADO"
The Dutch called it as "SITS"
The English called it as "CALICO" or "CHINTZ"
The French called it as "TOILES PAINTES"
The Persians called it as "PALAMPORE" or "KALAMKARI"
Kalamkari process would take about forty to forty five days to complete various process
involved in the production of a Kalamkari fabric has the cloth had to undergo nearly
fifteen process before it could be got ready. Nature also should be favorable as rains
might disrupt the process. The Kalamkari fabric attained the quality of special durability
because of the Vegetable (Natural) colours used.
******
lxviii
“SIPA”
Marketing :
ASSOCIATIONS
SOUTH
Federation of
INDIA
PRODUCER
PROCESS DETAILS OF
NATURAL / VEGETABLE DYE
KALAMKARI
Fabric : Mill Made
30s
Width : 120 cms
Counts : 30s x
STAGE 1
Mill made fabric (Grey coloured) is used for printing.
STAGE 2
Natural bleaching (with cow-dung and plain cold water) is done for removing the
starch in the fabric.
STAGE 3
Bleached fabric is dyed in Myrobalam mix which helps in preparing the fabric for
block printing.
STAGE 4
Blocks are used for printing the outer sketch (outlines / borders) as per the
designs visualised.
STAGE 5
Fabric printed with the outline blocks is washed in the running water and
subsequently the second block with a particular processed natural colour dye is
used for printing as fillers in the design, based on the color / design.
STAGE 6
With the second printing, the fabric is soaked in the boiling water with Jorgy
leaves and Anar and then washed in the running water.
STAGE 7
Depending upon the design and number of colours to be applied, the same
process as in Stage 6 is continued.
STAGE 8
Fabric is soaked again in the boiling water with Jorgy leaves for getting
lxix
additional colours.
STAGE 9
Fabric is finally washed in the running water with Alum (for color-fixing) and then
dried in the hot sun.
STAGE 10
Till the final stage, after every wash, the fabric is to be dried in the shade and not
in the hot sun
Note : Kalamkari fabrics / made-ups always comes with a basic grey colour background
and when combination of two or more colours are added, several colours comes out.
The brightness in the Kalamkari fabric / made-up is a combination of the Natural raw
material used in the process and the quality of the water in that area that is being used
for washing.
In order to retain the natural colour, separate washing in warm water and avoidance of
drying in sunshade is recommended.
Numerous blocks that are in different sizes (from xx cm to yy cm in width and breadth)
are used and are carefully aligned one over the other block depending upon the number
of colour combinations in a particular fabric or made-up. As the process is repeated all
over the fabric, while meticulous effort is taken, at times little deviations crepes in which
is usually accepted in the market and by the valued Customers.
Tel
Fax
e.mail
website
:
:
:
:
044 – 24352313 / 24353084
044 – 24342326
sipa@ vsnl.com
www.sipa.in
“SIPA”
Federation of
SOUTH INDIA PRODUCER ASSOCIATIONS
No. 9, H. D. RAJA STREET, ELDAMS ROAD
TEYNAMPET, CHENNAI - 600 018. INDIA
SIPA STANDS FOR “LEARNING BY SHARING”
lxx
“SIPA”
WOODEN BLOCK MAKING
Wooden Block Making plays a major role in Kalamkari Production. The skill of the
Craftsmen is very much wanted not only in carving of integrated designs and motives but
also exact over lapping for multi-colour blocks.
PROCESS OF WOODEN BLOCK MAKING :
Block making is a general term used in relation to graphic blocks made for letter press
printing. Wooden Blocks for Kalamkari printing has to be hand carved to bring out the
designs. Generally a set of 3 blocks are made for a single pattern.
1. Border outlines block.
2. Body outlines block.
3. Filling of other colour blocks.
Selection of Wood :
The following woods are used in South India for Block Making :
1.
2.
3.
4.
Teak Wood
Neem Wood
Jack Wood
Poovarasu Wood
The main reason for the selection of these woods is the fact that the above woods have
the straight grains and oil content. The presence of oil in the wood prevents the
breakage of finer edges while cutting, as well as using the block.
While selecting the wood, the age of the tree plays an important role. Generally, a two
decades old tree is suitable for this purpose. The quality of the block is assessed on the
depth of the carving.
Types of Wooden Block :
1. Border Block : It is used for the printing of border lines on the cloth.
2. Body Block : This is used for all over the body of the bedspread or any running
material.
3. Butta Block : This is also used for all over the body.
4. Kangady Block : It is used to give the extra effect to the border generally in a
single block in single colour.
PL.Ramasamy
Manager Marketing
lxxi

the study of traditional hand painted kalamkari to design a set of new

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