BENGALURU: For 80 year old Rama Katara creating beautiful flowers, animals and birds on tapestry using the fine medium of embroidery and cross stitch is sheer poetry in action.
Her works are creations of artistic expertise, hard work and diligence. The convent educated woman who loved needlework from school days, calls herself “an old fashioned home maker” with a penchant for spending hours poring over pieces of cloth, creating magic with different stitches and embroidery styles and coming up with one of a kind tapestry pieces which are a rarity these days.
Ramaji is known in her family circles for the frocks and dresses she would make, home accessories and soft furnishings like table cloths and tapestry with single stitch.
She uses patterns and charts sourced from the Net, thanks to her grand children who are more computer savvy than she is.
“I source threads from abroad, through net shopping as you get more colours and shades and more choice ,”she says.
There have been times when she would stitch while watching the idiot box.
With weaker eye sight, she now prefers to work in the daytime and often takes a nap while doing so only to wake up feeling fresh and enthused to finish the embroidery even faster.
Rama Katara’s home is filled with the works that she’s been creating for over four decades and every wall has them.
While the larger and intricate pieces can take up to six months to complete, the smaller ones can be done in three months.
Her daughter Anu Morada has been a great support and has been instrumental in putting the exhibition together. After all, a daughter is always a daughter.
The exhibition is on at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishanth, Gallery no. 2 till March 26 from 10 am to 7 pm.