In her present art practice; Dhir a textile artist based out of Vadodara, Gujarat has been exploring various techniques of resist dyeing. She is deeply intrigued by the abstract nature of these processes and primarily focuses on stitch resist within the wide spectrum of resist dyeing. Fabric, which is specifically woven by the finest Indian weavers across various craft clusters in the country, acts as the canvas for the artist’s explorations. The art involves intricate stitching, multiple levels of dyeing and discharging and finally unstitching. Once the arduous process is complete, the nuances of stitch resist are seen as subtle perforations and form an integral part of the artwork. Dhir’s design philosophy has been deeply influenced by the Japanese aesthetic Wabi-Sabi centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The unpredictable results that resist dyeing present are congruent to this philosophy. Her work also reflects the sacred traditional techniques like Shibori from Japan, Bandhej from India, and Adire’ from Nigeria.
The laborious process of resist dyeing involves multiple stages. Dhir sources hand woven fabric from various weaving clusters across India. To realise the envisioned work of art, a thought or an impression in the mind takes its form as an image that is actualised on the surface of the white fabric. The fabric is layered and folded in a distinctive fashion and what follow are diverse stages of dyeing and resisting on the pre-conceptualised stitched patterns.
The beauty of the process lies in crafting a creation, which begins its journey in its absolute contradiction, its polar opposite, its negative.
The beauty of the process lies in crafting a creation, which begins its journey in its absolute contradiction, its polar opposite, its negative. To add to this complexity of working in reverse, the art also requires planning a precise chemistry of colours, envisaging their interaction with each other and with the fabric itself. In addition, the very form, the texture on the surface of the artwork is also planned and prearranged, not only through deciding the thread count for the fabric surface but also by literally placing the design on the fabric at the resisting stage.
Every work of art that one will encounter here is inimitable and one of a kind. Each bears the mark of many hands it has passed through; from the spinners and weavers of silk to the artist herself. The process of the art is laborious, but it is also one of love and care, of nurturing a thought from its conception through to its realisation.
Dhir has completed her B.A in Textile Design from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad in 2007. She subsequently pursued a Masters degree in Strategic Design in Milan followed by a programme on Design for Textile Futures in London. She has worked extensively in the field of design, education, craft and industry in India for the last nine years.
The show will go on till 17 December