The cultural diversity of India can be well mapped through the rich sartorial textiles of each state. From the traditional Kunbi fabric of Goa to Sikkim’s Lepcha handloom, each fabric embodies narratives of tradition. Punjab also offers a unique assortment of textiles, which have found a place among buyers in contemporary times. However, languishing in obscurity amid popular names is Khes, which is a damask mostly woven in bright hues as floor or bedspread. This fabric is rooted in the culture and history of Punjab, and has significant sentimental value attached to it.
In pursuit of preserving this craft that holds strong cultural value, Arjunvir Singh (24) from Vasant Kunj, Delhi, and Rashi Sharma (25) from Mumbai started ‘The Khes Project’ in 2018. Through archiving and documentation, the Project delves into the process of Khes weaving, its cultural underpinnings, as well as the history of Punjab.
Tracing the rich history
The Khes Project started as a classroom project, when Singh and Sharma, who were students of textile design at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, had to work together and research a textile craft from their native region. With roots in Punjab, they had the option to work with many widely-known textiles. It was the little information available on Khes that steered them towards it. “Khes is one of the most mundane objects that one can spot in a Punjabi household. Since it was more of a daily-use object, it was hardly ever seen as a craft tradition. And as textile students, that was more reason to research the tradition of Khes weaving,”
Sharma and Singh shared in an email interview.
Their research included visits to villages and towns of Punjab such as Malerkotla, Kharar, Sangrur, and in Haryana such as Panipat. Here, Sharma and Singh would speak to Khes weavers and understand the current situation of the craft in India.
“The experience of meeting them and getting to know about their weaving traditions was wonderful. However, the reality of their situation was hard-hitting. The economic conditions of these artisans are quite unfortunate. They hardly earn any money and have to look for other odd jobs in order to take care of their living expenses. That’s the biggest reason for Khes having become a craft that is almost extinct,” they share.
Over the three and half years of working on the Project, Sharma and Singh have been able to document the many categories in Khes, archive its visual language, and analyse the processes of Khes weaving.