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Published in The News - Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Inspired by diaries offering a daily record of events, thoughts and rituals characteristic of the month of Ramazan, a bright and colourful exhibition of hand-crafted tapestries and textiles created by women artisans from Chitral, handbags and enamel jewellery by polly&me, and clay art by Clayworks opened at Serena’s Satrang Gallery here on Tuesday.
Titled ‘Ramazan Diaries,’ the show was inaugurated by Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US and the UK, and former editor of ‘The News’ Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, who termed the exhibition as being a testimony to the extraordinary talent of the women of Chitral. “The colours of their artwork reflect the energy and vitality of the people of Pakistan. This show is not merely a demonstration of a lively and thriving art scene in Pakistan, but also of a living nation that dreams of a better future,” she expressed in appreciation of the artwork.
Stopping by to select a polly&me hand-bag, Dr. Maleeha pertinently remarked, “If you go for designer bags and not poly&me, you go for crass, not class!” What better compliment could the artisans have expected? The tapestries tell tales that revolve around kitchens and ‘dastarkhwans,’ with the emphasis being on the spirit of celebration accompanying the holy month of Ramazan. “During the Ramazan of 2010, 14 women from Chitral maintained daily diaries to keep a record of their thought in words and drawings. Over the subsequent months, the artisans used these diaries as inspiration to create a collection of hand-embroidered textiles, now on display. The collection depicts their daily life and practices during Ramazan,” Ange Braid from polly&me informed.
The women participating in the exhibition are part of the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) owned social enterprise Mogh, which was established in 2006 as a public company to create income and employment opportunities for women of Chitral. Over the years, Mogh has trained over 3,000 women artisans in a variety of skills, including Shu (handmade woollen fabric), embroidery, knitting and crochet. Currently, Mogh works with 1,400 women, primarily from poor families, who are producing embroidery pieces and other materials for high-end handicrafts and fashion products for local and foreign markets.
In March 2008, polly&me, a social enterprise working with Mogh, invited women from Chitral’s embroidery collectives, to participate in a series of creative workshops. Using inspiration from their daily lives, the women produced a collection of 23 hand-embroidered textiles for the exhibition. While the first exhibition materialized in the shape of ‘Gup Shup’ or narratives focusing on the way of life of Chitrali women, the second is now based on themes chosen from diaries written by 14 Chitrali women.
The colourful handbags on display were a ‘Kai,’ project. ‘Kai’ means sister in Khowar, the language of Chitral. Chitrali women use the word ‘Kai’ when informally addressing each other. ‘Kai’ is a joint initiative of polly&me and Mogh and has been initiated to encourage the creative potential of Chitrali artisans in the design and making of their own products. “From the design and cutting to the embroidery and stitching, the women of Chitral have played a significant role in every aspect,” Ange informed.
Coming to the clay art, the section offered mugs, teapots, and large platters inscribed with Urdu alphabets and recipes of ‘pakoras,’ ‘jalebis,’ and ‘namak-paras,’ all of them delicacies without which Ramazan remains incomplete. The dishes were hand-painted with traditional rose motifs.
Also available on display was a unique collection of traditional hand-made, gold-plated enamel jewellery infused with polly’s signature designs and made by skilled artisans from Chitral. The rings, pendants and cufflinks sold like hot cakes. “What a lot of fun; these are just great,” Dr. Maleeha exclaimed, appreciating a pair of earrings. “Unfortunately, I cannot buy these because I am perhaps the only Pakistani woman who doesn’t have her ears pierced,” she regretted.
A major chunk of the proceeds from the exhibition will go back to communities that have produced the exquisite artwork, this being a good enough reason to buy the stuff despite the intimidating prices. “The cause behind the initiative and the fact that these products reflect the colours and vitality of Pakistan are incentives enough,” Dr. Maleeha remarked.
Prominent among the organisers was Asma Khan, the director and the driving force behind the SerenArts programme of Serena’s Satrang Gallery. “We are actively working to promote the arts and crafts of Pakistan and to project local artists and musicians. Serena Hotels have always incorporated indigenous motifs as part of the design concept for its hotels. The creations of local artisans are also prominent in the form of hand-painted ceilings, wooden lattice-works, artworks, and tapestries. As a community development project, ‘Ramazan Diaries’ under the umbrella of SerenArts, has enabled talented women artisans in Pakistan to exhibit their best kept treasures to the public,” Asma said.
While some sections of the exhibition will remain on display for three weeks, others will have been wrapped up by the time this article is read. The effort, however, was a remarkable one that generated a lot of excitement and interest. The only regret was that the Chitrali artisans arrived too late and hence missed the golden opportunity of being at the centre of the high-profile adulation that their work commanded.
Inspired by diaries offering a daily record of events, thoughts and rituals characteristic of the month of Ramazan, a bright and colourful exhibition of hand-crafted tapestries and textiles created by women artisans from Chitral, handbags and enamel jewellery by polly&me, and clay art by Clayworks opened at Serena’s Satrang Gallery here on Tuesday.
Titled ‘Ramazan Diaries,’ the show was inaugurated by Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US and the UK, and former editor of ‘The News’ Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, who termed the exhibition as being a testimony to the extraordinary talent of the women of Chitral. “The colours of their artwork reflect the energy and vitality of the people of Pakistan. This show is not merely a demonstration of a lively and thriving art scene in Pakistan, but also of a living nation that dreams of a better future,” she expressed in appreciation of the artwork.
Stopping by to select a polly&me hand-bag, Dr. Maleeha pertinently remarked, “If you go for designer bags and not poly&me, you go for crass, not class!” What better compliment could the artisans have expected? The tapestries tell tales that revolve around kitchens and ‘dastarkhwans,’ with the emphasis being on the spirit of celebration accompanying the holy month of Ramazan. “During the Ramazan of 2010, 14 women from Chitral maintained daily diaries to keep a record of their thought in words and drawings. Over the subsequent months, the artisans used these diaries as inspiration to create a collection of hand-embroidered textiles, now on display. The collection depicts their daily life and practices during Ramazan,” Ange Braid from polly&me informed.
The women participating in the exhibition are part of the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) owned social enterprise Mogh, which was established in 2006 as a public company to create income and employment opportunities for women of Chitral. Over the years, Mogh has trained over 3,000 women artisans in a variety of skills, including Shu (handmade woollen fabric), embroidery, knitting and crochet. Currently, Mogh works with 1,400 women, primarily from poor families, who are producing embroidery pieces and other materials for high-end handicrafts and fashion products for local and foreign markets.
In March 2008, polly&me, a social enterprise working with Mogh, invited women from Chitral’s embroidery collectives, to participate in a series of creative workshops. Using inspiration from their daily lives, the women produced a collection of 23 hand-embroidered textiles for the exhibition. While the first exhibition materialized in the shape of ‘Gup Shup’ or narratives focusing on the way of life of Chitrali women, the second is now based on themes chosen from diaries written by 14 Chitrali women.
The colourful handbags on display were a ‘Kai,’ project. ‘Kai’ means sister in Khowar, the language of Chitral. Chitrali women use the word ‘Kai’ when informally addressing each other. ‘Kai’ is a joint initiative of polly&me and Mogh and has been initiated to encourage the creative potential of Chitrali artisans in the design and making of their own products. “From the design and cutting to the embroidery and stitching, the women of Chitral have played a significant role in every aspect,” Ange informed.
Coming to the clay art, the section offered mugs, teapots, and large platters inscribed with Urdu alphabets and recipes of ‘pakoras,’ ‘jalebis,’ and ‘namak-paras,’ all of them delicacies without which Ramazan remains incomplete. The dishes were hand-painted with traditional rose motifs.
Also available on display was a unique collection of traditional hand-made, gold-plated enamel jewellery infused with polly’s signature designs and made by skilled artisans from Chitral. The rings, pendants and cufflinks sold like hot cakes. “What a lot of fun; these are just great,” Dr. Maleeha exclaimed, appreciating a pair of earrings. “Unfortunately, I cannot buy these because I am perhaps the only Pakistani woman who doesn’t have her ears pierced,” she regretted.
A major chunk of the proceeds from the exhibition will go back to communities that have produced the exquisite artwork, this being a good enough reason to buy the stuff despite the intimidating prices. “The cause behind the initiative and the fact that these products reflect the colours and vitality of Pakistan are incentives enough,” Dr. Maleeha remarked.
Prominent among the organisers was Asma Khan, the director and the driving force behind the SerenArts programme of Serena’s Satrang Gallery. “We are actively working to promote the arts and crafts of Pakistan and to project local artists and musicians. Serena Hotels have always incorporated indigenous motifs as part of the design concept for its hotels. The creations of local artisans are also prominent in the form of hand-painted ceilings, wooden lattice-works, artworks, and tapestries. As a community development project, ‘Ramazan Diaries’ under the umbrella of SerenArts, has enabled talented women artisans in Pakistan to exhibit their best kept treasures to the public,” Asma said.
While some sections of the exhibition will remain on display for three weeks, others will have been wrapped up by the time this article is read. The effort, however, was a remarkable one that generated a lot of excitement and interest. The only regret was that the Chitrali artisans arrived too late and hence missed the golden opportunity of being at the centre of the high-profile adulation that their work commanded.
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