CLEVELAND ROAD:Purvi Patel hails from Ahmedabad but came to Bengaluru, 30 years ago. Vermilion House, her boutique on Cleveland Road is a repository of traditional needle work.
She is not just interested in the aesthetics of a piece but also in its back story. Because, as she says, “every stitch tells a story. Every craft tells you something about a place, a time, an emotional context. I love researching what goes into a certain style of embroidery.”
At a time when weavers and embroiders across India are facing tough times, Purvi looks for ways to revive lost narratives. She travels extensively and goes right into the homes of artisans to learn more about their work and their history. And she has been at it for almost 27 years.
Even when she visits a newspaper office, her bag is stuffed with pieces that tell the story of Rabari or Lambani needlework or one of the many variations of mirror work.
This year’s show, Mirrors and Threads is a genuine attempt to restore the ancient thread embroideries of Kutch region back to their original form and glory.
Says she, “With a sense of deep satisfaction and joy, I along with my karigars am showcasing new attempts to revive and preserve the ancient art of traditional embroidery and thread work dating back to the 19th century.”
Adds she, “The needles are so fine that they look like slivers of light in brown calloused hands. The needle leaves silken magic and fine motifs in its wake. Trained workmen bend over the stretched fabric trying to recreate an era of skilled work in the age of digital machines. And every precise stitch tells stories of the ancient region of Kutch.”
The fine art of embroidery is now almost dying with youngsters looking for a quick buck rather than dedicating themselves to long days of intense pride and involvement in their work. Purvi asks, “Why would they do so when machines can turn out hundreds of metres in a matter of minutes?”
Purvi discovered her passion for the distinctive strains of embroidery when she stumbled upon old books at the NIID library in Ahmedabad. Her deepening interest led her to museums and private antique textile and embroidery collections across India.
The result is an exquisite collection of different types of embroidery deriving inspiration from Kutch and Sindh, Pakistan. She culled designs for this show from old books and swatches of fabrics preserved in museums and has given them a new form.
There is the ‘myna-poppat’ design with parrots upholding wreaths of flowers adapted from a display of ancient garments at he Victoria Albert Museum, London.There are intertwined leaves and exotic flowers, the elaborate peacock motif so beloved of Kutch artisans and the borders and butties seldom seen now.
She wants to popularise the varied forms of embroidery and give a new respect to gnarled fingers if that is still possible. She is one of the few designers in India who care about the past enough to bring it into the present. The painstakingly worked pieces are on display at Vermillion House, Benson Cross Road, Bengaluru on June 26 and 27.
For more information, email: vermilionhouse@gmail.com