Handwoven saris. Check. Exquisitely embroidered quilts. Check. Gorgeous silver jewellery. Check. Trendy bags with traditional designs. Check. Designer wear for men and women. Check. Unique home decor items. Check.
Kolkata’s most-awaited annual lifestyle exhibition, CIMA Art in Life, is back and packs in everything — variety, quality, exclusivity, uniqueness — that makes it the pre-Puja stop for Kolkata’s discerning shopper.
The exhibition, which will be on till October 11 at CIMA Gallery, was inaugurated on September 4 by Moon Moon Sen, who was floored by the collection this year. “CIMA always manages to find the most unique and interesting things from across the country. The collection this year is magnificent. I am an Art in Life regular and this exhibition keeps growing better and better every year,” said Sen, who picked out five items that caught her eye, just for My Kolkata.
This black and gold chanderi sari was Sen's first pick
The first item the actor and former MP chose for My Kolkata was this black chanderi sari with a silver border on top and a gold border at the bottom. “I love the simplicity of the sari, which is what makes it so elegant. A traditional chanderi with a modern look, it is the perfect combination. I also love the fact that it has both gold and silver borders. And it is so light!” said Sen.
This eco-print shirt from Beej and Co was her chosen one for the sustainability factor
Her second pick of the evening was from one of the most unique collections at Art in Life this year. This eco-print shirt, made out of hemp thread with prints done with natural dyes and using actual leaves as motifs, is part of the Beej and Co label by artist Vishal Bhand and his designer wife Bijoya Haldar.
“I love the fact that it is handmade and that the colours are taken from the earth and that there are zero chemicals used. Also each and everyone of these pieces is unique because they are not printed using blocks or machines so they can never be replicated. There will only be one piece of what you are wearing,” said Sen.
“Sustainability is the overriding theme in Art in Life, and each one of these shirts and saris is made using organic materials. Since each piece is unique it is like owning a piece of exclusive art,” said Rakhi Sarkar, director, CIMA Gallery.
These bright Ajrakh prints caught Sen's eye
Her third stop for the evening was at the rack of Ajrakh printed cloth materials from Kutch, Gujarat, all done in organic colours. “I love the prints from the cute and quirky to the minimalist and pretty. Normally one would have to travel to Gujarat to buy them without any kind of mark-up in price, but here they are directly sourced from the weavers. Shirts, dresses, blouses, they can be used to make anything,” said Sen.
This lime green sari from Paromita Banerjee's Hazaar Buti collection was her fourth pick of the evening
Sen then gravitated towards this lime green sari from Paromita Banerjee’s Hazaar Buti collection. “Lime green is one of my favourite colours. The hazaar butis make it traditional but the look and feel of it is extremely contemporary. It is such a bright colour but it does not scream at you. It is subdued and absolutely beautiful,” she said.
Paromita Banerjee is one of the designers being showcased at Art in Life along with Parama and Shunyaa, which is a homage to designer Sharbari Datta.
A pink Paithani sari (left) and a Dolabedi sari were Sen’s picks from her fifth and final stop
Sen’s final stop of the evening was at two of Art in Life’s most exclusive sari collections. The first was a light pink cotton Paithani sari which stood out for its unique pallu motifs. “I love the pallu. There is so much talk about the cow today and look how topical this sari is!” said Sen. Traditionally done in silks, Paithani saris, which is a particular weave from the Paithan town in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, usually have birds (and most often parrots) as motifs.
The second sari she picked out was a stunning Dolabedi from tribal weavers of Chhattisgarh, which celebrates Dol, the festival of colours. “The motifs on the pallu are so unusual. They have the peacocks, the elephants. So imaginative. And they are using everything that they have around them for motivation,” said Sen.
For Rakhi Sarkar and Pratiti Basu Sarkar, Art in Life is a labour of love that has grown and flourished over the last two decades. “Curating this exhibition has taken me to the real India as we travelled to various parts of the country to pick these items. From saris by master weavers from across the country to silver and oxidised filigree ornaments, masks from Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to bags from Gujarat, Bhutanese wedding chadars to Sami quilts woven by snake charmers in Kutch, Art in Life is like mini-India,” said Rakhi Sarkar.
“I love this Art in Life because it is like a living museum. All the products here will be sold and then next year there will be more from more weavers and craftsmen who will be able to display their work and talents,” said Sen.
Video edited by Madhurai Banerjee
CIMA Art in Life will be on from September 6 to October 11 daily from 11am to 8pm, at CIMA Gallery, Sunny Towers (second floor), 43, Ashutosh Chowdhury Avenue, Kolkata 700019