Kalamkari through an artistic lens

Three artists attempt a convergence of traditional and contemporary kalamkari imagery through Varna (N), an exhibition in Hyderabad’s Salar Jung Museum

On the first floor of Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, Varna (N), a collective display of textiles and drawings attempts to show visitors what three contemporary practitioners of art can do when they take a fresh approach to the traditional craft of kalamkari. Anindita Chakraborty, Rajarshi Sengupta and Sharmistha Kar use imagery from the past and the present, natural dye pigments and embroidery to arrive at new narratives.

The result is artworks that vary from wall hangings, utilitarian bags and cushion covers. “We do not think of bags and cushion covers as lesser entities than artworks that serve as showpieces,” says Rajarshi, a PhD in Art History from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

He, Anindita and Sharmistha crossed paths at the University of Hyderabad. Rajarshi taught at the Department of Fine Arts at SN School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad (UoH). Anindita pursued her Master’s in Fine Arts from the UoH, and Sharmistha, who is now based in Canada, studied and worked as a lecturer at the same institute.