Silk hand painting to be revived

Heard of silk hand painting? Well, this unique art is not done professionally in India though in some traditional parts of the country, there are craftspersons who still practice it. But a Paris-based artist, Anne White, has been able to perfect it to a level of art that has commanded international attention in recent times.

Using her knowledge and love for flowers, birds and animals, Anne produces delicate silk pictures for wall hangings and also in the form of garments which are a rage abroad. As an artist who lives and works in the Dordogne region of France, she combines her softness of water colours with her own sense of drama, often using gold and silver outlines to enhance her work.

Anne will be here in the Capital in October/November for a six- day workshop on ``Silk hand-painting'' which will be co-ordinated by Ms. Rashmi Kohli, a senior lecturer in the Knitwear Design Department of the National Institute of Fashion Technology. ``We at NIFT do not have a project like this and I thought it a good idea to avail of her expertise and introduce it here,'' she says.

Silk hand painting as a subject is not taught anywhere in India though it has been part and parcel of traditional textiles. The silk saris woven in the South sometimes had intricate floral designs and there are certain groups using the services of master craftspersons and promoting silk art in saris. ``I sell my work to several private clients who regard these as collector's items,'' says Anne.

It is only after pursuing all aspects of paintings and sculptures through different media that Anne decided to concentrate her talents on silk painting. Many of her bas-relief sculptures have won prizes at both national as well as international levels. A recent commission involved her in silk bridesmaid dresses and making co-ordinated accessories. ``Since Anne is already involved in the teaching and demonstration of the art of silk painting, we decided to have a workshop from October 31 to November 5,'' Ms. Kohli says.

Though a formal clearance from NIFT is awaited, the workshop is already being seen as an opportunity to bring ``silk hand- painting'' to India. ``Primarily, we are targeting students. Anyone interested in the medium of silk-hand painting can join the workshop,'' she adds.

By K. Kannan

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