Know more about artistic tribute to charkha at India’s new Parliament building
Shelly Jyoti's work, inspired by the timeless significance of the charkha, displays two charkhas which represent unity and broad-based participation in making India self-reliant.
Shelly Jyoti's work at the new Parliament building (Source: PR Handout) The grand inauguration of India’s new Parliament building in New Delhi was a historic milestone and a testament to the nation’s rich art and craft heritage. Amidst the magnificent architecture, a special thematic installation at the Shilp Deergha Gallery features artist Shelly Jyoti’s work inspired by the timeless significance of the charkha.
“It is a heartfelt homage to the charkha and embodies the essence of self-reliance by utilising the traditional craft of block printing, specifically Ajrakh, with the symbolism of the spinning wheel and serving as a reminder of our hard-won freedom and the importance of preserving it. The concept displayed with two charkhas represents unity and broad-based participation in making India self-reliant,” explained Gurugram-based Shelly.
Curated by Jaya Jaitley, founder and president of the Dastkari Haat Samiti, the exhibition titled ‘Charkha – the Wheels of Swavalamban’, features handspun-woven khadi with Ajrakh printing and dyeing that took close to eight months to create.
Ajrakh’s vibrant patterns reflect a deep connection with tradition, employing 20 intricate steps to achieve its unique beauty (Source: PR Handout)
“I feel recognised as an artist bringing out our heritage Ajrakh traditions uniquely integrating with craftsmen, giving a new medium of textile art through craft and design. It is indeed a very humbling recognition. I feel honoured to have gotten this opportunity to create artwork for the new Parliament building,” Shelly told indianexpress.com.
Ajrakh, a revered technique of reverse block printing with natural dyes, is rooted in Gujarat’s Ajrakhpur, Rajasthan, and Sindh, and involves heritage craft showcasing intricate geometric prints in shades of blue, red, white, and black. The dyeing process, which takes several days, involves harmonising with nature and utilising the sun, river, animals, trees, and mud.
Ajrakh’s vibrant patterns reflect a deep connection with tradition, employing 20 intricate steps to achieve its unique beauty, including treating the fabric, printing, drying, dyeing, drying, reprinting, and dyeing, Shelly said as she took us through her design process.
Once the spinning wheel was ideated as an iconography of self-reliance, Shelly digitally visualised over 30 slides with different colour and pattern permutations and further created rough sketches on huge art papers of the same size as artworks. Shelly had six artisans for printing and dyeing, three for the embellishing team doing pure gold thread zardozi embroidery and mirror work, and a team of two tailors to structure the artworks under “my overall hands-on involvement”.
“Working with craftsmen is an idea of sustainability for the craft and its technique that dates back 4,500 years old. To conserve it in modern India through art is of great significance,” said Shelly, who has been a professional artist for over 30 years.
📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!
Share
