The Registry of Sarees holds textile exhibition in Bengaluru

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Apr 10, 2019

The Registry of Sarees put on an exhibition of Khadi sarees titled “Meanings, Metaphor- Handspun and Handwoven in the 21st century” at the Bangalore International Centre to promote and explore India’s handloom tradition.

The recent Meanings, Metaphor exhibition, curated by Mayank Mansingh Kaul, showcased the beauty of India’s traditional Khadi weaves and stressed the importance of preserving this art form. As an increasing number of India’s fashion designers embrace Khadi weaves, The Registry of Sarees is emerging as a comprehensive library of handloom weaves.  

The exhibition ran from March 31 to April 6 and features sarees presented on sculptural wooden frames in the gallery’s spacious interiors. The textiles featured were originally commissioned for the “Khadi – The Fabric of Freedom” series by the late Martand Singh. Textile experts and designers Rta Kapur Chisti, Rahul Jain, and Rakesh Thakore also worked on the collection.

The exhibition had previously travelled to Chirala in Andhra Pradesh in November last year followed by Coimbatore. The Registry of Sarees now owns a large part of the “Khadi – The Fabric of Freedom” collection. The organisation now aims to engage with weavers and weaving communities to boost their sales and increase their customer base. 
 
The Bengaluru-based Registry of Sarees was founded by a group of textile experts to create a community of academics, curators, and textile enthusiasts that will work together to record India’s textile heritage. The group also curates a selection of sarees for sale and funds raised from this go towards community weaving engagement projects and learning events.