BENGALURU: Nearly a decade ago, city-based art historian Anita N was visiting her friend Girija, a Siddi woman, at the latter’s family home in rural North Karnataka where she was given a quilt woven out of used fabric, to sit upon. Among the materials used to weave the quilt, Anita recognised in it a hand-me-down, given by Anita herself on an earlier visit. Fascinated by the intricate-yet-simple design that was unlike anything she had ever come across, she searched for the source of the quilt, eventually discovering that it was the work of an elderly woman from the Siddi community.
Little did she realise then that it would lead her to start a project to preserve the centuries-old practice of Siddi quilt-making, promoting it while providing a source of income to Siddi women. Since the last two years, Anita’s work has gained international attention. Apart from being recognized by various institutions across the world, she received a project grant from the prestigious Karun Thakar Fund in late 2022. More recently, Anita is working on an art installation for the Atlassian Wonderspace, in the city, funded by the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, that will debut in June 2023.
As descendants of the Bantu peoples of South-East Africa, the Siddis were brought to India via the Arab slave trade. Largely present in the north and North-Eastern parts of Karnataka, the community is among the poorest in the country. “Quilting was largely practised by the economically backward classes. They are used to keep warm during winter and to sit upon during warmer months. Siddis also don’t waste anything and reuse fabric to stitch these quilts,” says Anita, adding that the community’s quilt-making tradition is not from their African ancestry but was something they picked up from local traditions in India such as Godra.
However, unlike North Indian quilt-making forms, Anita says South Indian quilt-making is largely unrecognised and is disappearing fast due to socio-economic changes and urbanisation. “Preserving that art form is important because each quilt is a unique expression of the women who make it. No two quilts are similar. Every quilt is made with whatever material is available to them,” Anita says. Hence, she started Siddi Kavandi in 2016, locating people who still practised quilting and also conducting workshops for women from the community to encourage them to take it up.
“It was a slow and arduous process,” says Anita, adding, “The Siddis are a shy community and do not welcome outsiders very easily. It was like an adventure because some of their villages are located in the remotest areas and do not even have public transport.” Yet, despite the obstacles, Anita was able to make a breakthrough with an unexpected source of help. “Girija was of great help. We went from village to village, some of which were located in deep forests on the foothills of western ghats. We covered around 18 villages,” Anita shares.
Currently, the project has enlisted over 60 women, producing intricate quilts, and upcycling used materials such as cotton. Each quilt is sold for upwards of over Rs 11,000 through Anita’s social media handles with a majority of the revenue going to the quilters.
The quilts have been hugely popular, so much so that Anita says she was approached by a fashion brand with a proposal to create a prototype for mass production, which she promptly refused. “I want to expand it within the Siddi community, but I’ve no interest in expanding it commercially,” she says.