Most Chennaiites will be familiar with the intricate, white-on-white chikankari embroidery from Lucknow. Even the bright zardozi work on saris and kurtas, have gotten popular. But not many seem to have heard about ‘kantha’, a simple running stitch that originated in rural Bengal.
However, thanks to Shamlu Dudeja, founder of the West Bengal based SHE (Self Help Enterprise), kantha will be coming to Chennai for the first time this Friday. Dudeja’s Kantha exhibition aims at reviving the ancient art of kantha stitchery. “South India is famous for its light cottons and brilliant silk saris – but they are all weaves. South Indians are also very sensitive. If there is a beautiful piece of art, it will resonate with them one way or another. That’s why I thought it would be a good idea to bring down Bengal’s kantha here,” says Dudeja.
Kantha is traditionally used to stitch three or four pieces of cloth together to make quilts. “The rural women of Bengal still use this. But slowly, over time, they got so fine that they turned into decorative stitches – stitch art, basically. Like panels that can be hung on the walls and other decorative items,” she says.
The exhibition will have a variety of kantha products ranging from bedcovers and cushion covers to carpets and shawls. There will be several themes too – the many forms of Durga, episodes from Indian epics, themes from Tagore’s writings, a village mela and jungle scenes, scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana and Adivasi group dances among others. “Though it is one of Bengal’s traditional arts, kantha has rarely had extensive marketing. People of Chennai have been very receptive to arts like these in the past. So I’m hoping they will welcome kantha with arms wide open,” says Dudeja.
The exhibition will be inaugurated by TN Governor K Rosaiah and held between Sept 27 and Oct 1 at the ITC Grand Chola