Kalamkari is the ancient art of decorating fabrics using kalams and pens. A term that refers to cotton fabrics that are patterned by hand or print, mainly using vegetable dyes. Today this category of fabrics includes a wide range of textiles produced in many parts of India. This is because the ancient tradition of patterning is still practiced here. Even if the fabric is block-printed, kalam is used to detail and color it. The propagating Mughals called the practitioners of this craft 'Qua-lamkars' and a distinctive term for the goods, 'Kalamkari'.
Kalamkari was once called Phatachitra, and this is an art form that can still be found in India and Nepal's neighbors (Odisha) and elsewhere. It means 'patta' which means cloth, and 'chitra' means 'picture'. Paintings made on fabric and fabric scrolls are mentioned in ancient Hindu, Buddhist and Jain literature.
Under medieval Islamic rule, the word kalamkari comes from the Persian language, 'kalam' means pen and 'kali' means craftsmanship. This art involves 23 difficult steps such as dyeing, bleaching, hand-painting, block-printing, gluing and cleaning.The subjects depicted in Kalamkari range from flowers, peacocks and paisleys to Hindu art such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana. It extends to sacred characters in the epic of the Buddhism. Now this art is mainly used to make Kalamkari his sarees.
Radha Krishna, Kalamkari Painting
There are two distinctive styles of Kalamkari art in India – Srikalahasti style and the Machilipatnam style. The Srikalahasti style of Kalamkari, where the "kalam" or pen is used for freehand drawing of the subject and filling in the colors, is entirely hand worked. This style flourished in temples centered on creating unique religious identities, appearing on scrolls, temple hangings, chariot banners as well as depictions of deities and scenes taken from the Hindu epics (e.g. Ramayana, Mahabharata and Purana).
The style owes its present status to Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay who popularized the art as the first chairperson of the All India Handicrafts Board.
Picture of Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay
Kalamkari Painting on fabric
Histroy of Kalamkari Painting
The Kalamkari tradition is more than three thousand years old. The earliest fabric samples of this craft found in the Mohenjo-Daro excavations date back to 3000 B.C. Some samples of Madder dyed cloth with traditional Indian motifs have also been discovered in Egyptian tombs during excavations at Al Fustat near Cairo. These bear testimony not only to the antiquity of the craft but also prove that it was well developed and formed part of a flourishing export in ancient times. The popularity of Indian textiles in the markets of the ancient world may be attributed to the fact that India had even at that time perfected the technology of fixing the fugitive colours found in nature with a certain degree of permanence to fabrics. With the bounty and variety of tropical vegetation at his doorstep, the Indian craftsman was able to evolve a palette of many colours derived from vegetable, animal and mineral sources.
There are numerous references in ancient Hindu texts describing the colours and patterns of the clothes worn by the people of the Vedic Age which reveal that more than a hundred species of plants were known and used by the craftsman of those days. Varahamihiraauthor of the voluminous Hindu text Brihatsamhita belonging to the 6th-century A.D.describes not only the dye but also the process of mordanting in fixing colours to cloth. The action of Alum (Sanskrit: Tabari) in fixing-the colour Manjishta to cloth is detailed, and the technique is described as Raga Bandhana (Raga-colour; Bandhana to fix or tie).
Kalamkari Art, Tree of Life (KIA13), Natural dyes on cloth,
Kalamkari Art, Tree of Life (Detail), Natural dyes on cloth.
Musicians and painters known as Chitrakars moved from their villages to tell the stories of Hindu mythology to the villagers. Similarly, the large panels of kalamkari found in Hindu temples depicting episodes from Hindu mythology and iconography similarly to Buddhist thangka paintings. As an art form, it was found at the wealthy peak of Golconda sultanate in medieval Hyderabad. The Mughals, who promoted this craft in the Coromandel and Golconda states, called the practitioners of this craft "Qualamkars", from which the term "Kalamkari" was born.
Kalamkari art has been practiced by many families in Andhra Pradesh, some villages in Tamil Nadu (Sikkalnayakanpettai) by migrants from Telugu speaking families over the generations have constituted their livelihood. Kalamkari had a period of decline, then was revived in India and abroad for its craftsmanship. Since the 18th century, the British have enjoyed the decorative element for clothing.
Technique
Involving up to 23 meticulous steps, the process of creating a Kalamkari painting is as elaborate as the delicate and detailed designs. Before beginning, the artist assembles the following raw materials: cotton cloth, dried unripe fruit and milk to make the ‘mordant,’ charcoal sticks, black kasimi liquid, alum solution and natural pigments in red, indigo and yellow. Like many traditional Indian crafts, Kalamkari uses only natural materials, lending its beautiful earthy tones.
The first step is preparing the cotton to absorb dyes by washing it to remove starch, sun-drying it fully and then treating it with mordant as a fixative.
Once the cloth is prepared, the artist sketches the central figure with charcoal sticks and traces over this outline with a finely pointed kalam dipped in the kasimi liquid. The kalam is wrapped in wool that holds the liquid, so the artist squeezes this wool to release the ink while painting.
After the black outline has dried, the artist can apply a mordant with alum and begin introducing red color to the cloth. After each application of pigment, the cloth is washed, sometimes in still water in a bucket and sometimes in running water.
The final steps are applying indigo and then yellow dyes to color in the scene. To produce orange, yellow dye is applied onto red areas, and for green, indigo is applied to yellow areas.
Kalamkari artists use only natural pigments to paint.
Artisan working on Kalamkari painting
Overall, this demanding procedure takes at least several days as the cloth and ink must fully dry between each step. But ultimately the time and effort are more than worth it, as the final colors are strong and exquisite, and the images are captivating in their depth and complexity. Kalamkari is truly a labor of love for art, tradition and culture, a joy that is palpable in each painting.
Types of Kalamkari Painting
There are two identifiable styles of Kalamkari art in India – Srikalahasti style and Machilipatnam style. In the Machilipatnam style of Kalamkari, motifs are essentially printed with hand-carved traditional blocks with intricate detailing painted by hands. On the other hand, Srikalahasti style of painting draws inspiration from the Hindu mythology describing scenes from the epics and folklore. This style holds a strong religious connect because of its origin in the temples.
Machilipatnam style, Kalamkari Painting
Ramayan Srikalahasti style, Kalamkari Painting
In recent times, two other types of Kalamkari patterns have also emerged, based on the states where it is created. Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh are two prime states in India, where two different types of Kalamkari patterns are done. The Andhra Kalamkari borrows design inspiration from forts, palaces and temples of India, along with motifs of animals and birds. While the Gujarat Kalamkari depict motifs of mythological characters like Krishna-Arjuna from Mahabharata, lord Krishna, lord Ganesha, lord Buddha etc.
Artisan working on Kalamkari Art
Kalamkari in Modern Days
From the first depictions of Kalamkari art as religious paintings depicting Indian gods and goddesses, to the process of recognition during the reign of the Mughal dynasty, and to the present day, when Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer of Kalamkari. This art has come a long way.
In the past decade, Kalamkari art has lost its shine due to the tedious techniques involved in its production. The advent of high-tech mechanical looms and printed fabrics also escalated the art's extinction process. However, it was fashion designers from the Indian fashion industry who came together to revitalize this art and help Andhra Pradesh artisans practice this art. Creative minds like Gaurang Shah have brought this timeless art back into the limelight by beautifully portraying Kalamkari sarees on the fashion runway.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to celebrate the rich history of Kalamkari today without wondering about its future. Like many forms of traditional Indian art, Kalamkari is a generational art, meaning that typically a father or grandfather would train his children in the family trade. It has been preserved and passed down for many generations in this way. But now, given the plethora of career options available to make a steadier and more lucrative income, the children of most Kalamkari artists pursue careers in engineering, business or other fields. There are only about 16 remaining skilled Kalamkari artists living and working today, 10 of whom have won National Awards. One of my motivations for opening Laasya Art was to encourage a new wave of appreciation and support for traditional craft artists.
New methods threaten ancient craft of Kalamkari Painting
Kalamkari Painting on fabric
