Art in the drawing room

For that elusive piece for drawing room decor, go arty and you will find something beyond the usual array of paintings. Chitrikam murals with mirror work are here to adorn your walls. Craftings, the new art shop by Seema Mathias and Ritu Patel has come out with lifestyle articles decorated with Chitrikam, originally used by villagers in the Kutch region to decorate the mud walls of their houses.

You will also find T-shirts and Capri pants with Mutwa work on it an intricate form of hand embroidery combined with Chritrikam. The difference between the usual mirror work and Mutwa is the intricacy of the tiny stitches. They also have quilts done with the same work on special linen known as Dharki. However, the lifestyle material stand out from the rest. There are mirrors, lamp shades, photo frames, pots and food trays, besides paintings. The craft work is done by Kutch craftsmen while concepts and designs are by Seema and Ritu.

Says Ritu, "We were looking out for something innovative, when we chanced upon Chitrikam in a book. We went to Kutch, only to find the art form dying. As there were no buyers for their skills the younger generation was not interested in perfecting it." Coming back to Mumbai they thought of ways popularise the art form and came out with idea of using it on lifestyle products. Their idea seem to have worked. Check out for yourself as the exhibition of their products open at Cymroza Art Gallery, Breach Candy from October 2-4.

— ELIZABETH NINAN