Art in Life, CIMA Gallery’s annual lifestyle exhibition, is the perfect mix of the traditional and the contemporary. Gorgeous traditional handloom saris by master weavers from across the country share space with sleek and innovative designer wear by Indian fashion designers. But the common thread that holds them together is exclusivity and sustainability.
“We started Art in Life in a small way and we started with field trips to various states, we went into the homes of artisans and it really took us to the heart and soul of India. While we were dealing with urban artists from metropolitan cities, we had really missed out on this part of India. And we fell in love with the project. It took us a few years to evolve. Art in Life now has a balance of authentic saris from the master weavers as well as contemporary experimentations that we encourage as it helps them stay relevant. We have also added works of some contemporary designers,” said Rakhi Sarkar, director of CIMA Gallery.
So while a Dolabedi sari from Chhattisgarh showcases authentic weaving, a cotton Paithani sari from Maharashtra has replaced its common parrot motif to include the more contemporary cow motif, which is in trend.
Also in trend is the concept of sustainability which is the overriding theme of Art in Life. “Given the times we are in, sustainability is of crucial importance,” said Sarkar, and artist Vishal Bhand, whose collection Beej and Co is being showcased in Art in Life for the first time, agrees.
“Everyone is talking about sustainability. And our collection is all about that. We used to collect a lot of fabric for our class from different weavers. When the lockdown happened they came to us and said that if we stop buying fabric from them they will not have money to eat so my wife and I decided let’s see if we can do something of our own to help these weavers,” said Bhand, who is an associate professor and coordinator of Silpa Sadana at Visva-Bharati University.
Artist Vishal Bhand’s Beej and Co is dedicated to sustainability
Organic and eco-friendly are other keywords for Beej and Co, whose eco-printed saris, scarves, stoles and shirts are made with colours from natural sources like leaves and flowers, earth and rust. A lot of their products are also made using hemp cloth.
“Because the patterns and colours come from leaves and other natural resources, each piece is like an artwork. Each piece is individual, even if I wanted to I couldn’t copy them,” said Bhand.
For Bhand and his wife Bijoya Haldar, a designer, it is very important that their brand creates more work for weavers and craftsmen. “I am glad that we are being able to give work to more weavers. We have to push boundaries to address the issue of sustainability. This is creating work for so many more people, which is absolutely crucial today,” said Bhand.
Sustainable usage of resources is also crucial to designer Paromita Banerjee who is back with her collection for a fifth season at Art in Life.
Designer Paromita Banerjee doesn’t believe in wasting any fabric
“We don’t waste any of our fabrics. We use leftover fabric in many of our dresses and a lot of it we use to make jholas and laptop bags, and now, masks,” said Banerjee. The fabric used in her collection is also woven from scratch and many, like her collection of tussar jamdanis, are woven organically, without any dyes. “That is why you will notice that the colours throughout the tussar jamdanis are not the same. It is because it is the natural colour of the thread,” said Banerjee.
This collection includes her indigo and black collection, which are classics, matka jamdanis, which is novel and festive, and linen and muslin jamdanis, which are about comfort and functionality.
Designer Parama Ghosh is back with her signature festive collection
Designer Parama Ghosh, who is also back at Art in Life, brings her special touch with blouses that have lace, embroidery and shabeki borders as well as her signature festive collection with Puja-themed saris and blouses.
Sharbari Datta’s Shunyaa finds a special corner in Art in Life
A special section of Art in Life is also set aside for Shunyaa, the flagship brand mentored and created by the late Sharbari Datta, as a homage to the designer.
“Sustainability is the overriding theme for Art in Life and we have tried to incorporate that in most of our collection, from the master weavers to the contemporary designers,” said Sarkar.
CIMA Art in Life will be on till October 11 daily from 11am to 8pm, at CIMA Gallery, Sunny Towers (second floor), 43, Ashutosh Chowdhury Avenue, Kolkata 700019