Jabbar Arab Khatri shares how the household that practices the 300-year-old Rogan artwork have been motivating themselves and connecting digitally in the course of the pandemic
The months between July and September deliver rains to Nirona village of the Kutch area in Gujarat. Together with the monsoon come hordes of school college students eager to expertise, by craft workshops, a slice of the traditional Rogan artwork of cloth printing. The pandemic has made the village go silent, with no college students or researchers. When a centuries-old custom of hand portray on material, Rogan artwork — practised by the Khatris — affected, members struggled to remain motivated., managing to remain linked digitally. The Khatris are the surviving custodians of the artwork kind. In the course of the first part of lockdown, the Khatris collaborated with India Craft Week, Delhi and Paramparik Karigaar Mumbai showcasing their assortment in on-line exhibitions.
Jabbar Arab Khatri, nephew of Padma Shri awardee Abdul Gafoor Khatri, and one of many younger torchbearers of the artwork says, “The dyes take time to dry in the course of the monsoon, so we’re indoors working with designs.” He’s proud of the web initiative. “Though there have been no gross sales, we had many enquiries for our merchandise and workshops; a few of them have promised to get again as soon as normalcy returns,” he says.
A phrase of Persian origin, Rogan means oil. Jabbar explains the material printing course of: “Castor oil is heated and solid into chilly water and the thick residue is then blended with pure colors. Then, utilizing a stylus or blocks, this resultant paint is meticulously transferred on to a material to make floral, animal (peacock) and geometric patterns. The climate and density of the combo play an necessary position. Colors and freehand motifs look enticing.”
In the previous few weeks, Jabbar has made a number of Rogan artwork wall items on the masks for COVID-19. One of many sketches was given by Mubarka Nandarbarwala, an Nationwide Institute of Vogue and Inside Designing, Mumbai (NIIFD) scholar after his Instagram session. He shares, “Since college students couldn’t come right here for workshops, it was a pleasant alternative to current our historic artwork to them,” NIIFD instructor Rosie Bose calls it an effort to introduce completely different artwork practices to the scholars. “Executing Rogan artwork by studying on-line is hard however as soon as they’re uncovered to the crafts element, perhaps later, we are able to take these college students to Nirona for a workshop. Since they’ve already been launched to the artwork, studying instantly from these artisans shall be an enchanting expertise. Budding vogue designers may deliver contemporary concepts and assist in sustaining the artwork and make it related within the vogue business.”
Masks with Rogan artwork
Rogan artwork that’s generally seen on ghagra-cholis, bridal trousseau, bedsheets and tablecloths are already part of the style business. One of many posts on roganart_official on Instagram showcases the artwork’s up to date avatar.
Delhi-based designer Vanshika Gupta is at present engaged on incorporating Rogan artwork and likewise Soof embroidery in her designs. Her masks with Rogan artwork have been launched two months in the past. With a love for Rogan that started in her faculty days, she visited Nirona two years in the past and created her commencement assortment based mostly on these crafts.“It’s the most unusual hand-painted model. I learnt the craft from Abdul Gafoor bhai (Abdul Gafoor Khatri) and Jabbar bhai (Jabbar Khatri). The crafting means of this textile artwork appears advanced however is wonderful. The handmade freestyle drawings have imperfections however the magnificence lies in these summary traces. Its quirky prints can solely be carried out on cotton or silk.” At present, Vanshika has 10 girls from Nirona engaged on her new assortment.
Nirona’s vacationer season begins mid-September, the interval previous Dasara and Deepavali, the foremost festivals earlier than winter sees vacationers flock to the village. As cities slowly chill out restrictions, artisans look forward with hope. Provides Jabbar, “I heard that the Rann Utsav may occur within the first week of November. If the pandemic ends by then, we are able to hope to slowly regain our lives.”
