God in every thread

Shrinathji stands with a fullybloomed lotus next to his left arm surrounded by buds His calm steady gaze watches over a lively chorus of cows The simplicity of expressions transports you to the bucolic scenes of medieval temple art Yet itrsquos not just the faces or the spiritual quality of Gaurang Shahrsquos wall panels that captivatemdashitrsquos how he brings the highchrome opulent robes to lifeThe softness and mobility of cloth have been imitated on the jamdani loom in Swaroop a 24piece textile and handicraft tapestry series Geometric patterns from Srikakulam shape a divine silhouette while the soft weave from Venkatagiri adds serenity and bold motifs from Srinagar amplify Shrinathjirsquos grandeurThis Shrinathji wall panel 58 x 47 inches crafted from handembroidered beadwork on raw silk took 65 days to create in Lucknow Uttar PradeshEvery tweak rumple and rustle is crafted with hypnotic effect using chikan from Lucknow hand tiedye and double ikat from Patan gota patti from Jaipur and aari embroidery from Kashmir Dehradun Hyderabad and Dhaka The panels integrate traditional Indian painting styles each with its own distinct history Orissarsquos storytelling through visuals Pattachitra narrative Kalamkari from Tirupati opulent Tanjore paintings from Tamil Nadu and folk Cheriyal scrolls of Hyderabad are meticulously recreated on fabricSwaroop debuted in late August in Hyderabad and 15 pieces will be showcased at Mumbairsquos Taj Palace on October 18 and 19 as part of Shahrsquos exhibition featuring handwoven sarees and ghagras ldquoMy first love is sareesrdquo Shah shares ldquoThe six meters of canvas offer unique versatility for endless creativity especially with intricate jamdani You just canrsquot achieve that same design depth in a ghagrardquoTextile artist Gaurang Shah shares a light moment with weavers at one of his jamdani units in Alikam village Srikakulam district Andhra PradeshThe Shrinathji collection builds on Shahrsquos 2020 showcase of 37 Khadi jamdani sarees each featuring handwoven pallus that recreated paintings by celebrated artist Raja Ravi Varma These sarees were part of Khadi A Canvas a project cocurated by Lavina Baldota ldquoI need more challengesrdquo says Shah ldquoI want to be known for more than sarees and to explore different mediums using textilesrdquo Shah who launched Gaurangrsquos Kitchen in Hyderabad in 2022 now ventures into home deacutecor and interior design with Gaurang HomeSwaroop was conceived after a friendrsquos suggestion to reinterpret Shrinathjimdashtraditionally handpainted by Rajasthanrsquos Nathdwara artistsmdashacross various textile and handicraft forms So far 12 out of 24 pieces have been soldDonrsquot be fooled by her smile Lakshmamma means business when supervising the weavers alongside her husband Annaji Rao at Gaurang Shahrsquos looms in Srikakulam districtShah views Swaroop as a significant shift from his Ravi Varma project which centred on Khadi jamdani and natural dyes ldquoSwaroop allowed me to explore Shrinathji through 24 diverse weaving and handicraft techniques of Indiardquo he says with plans to further develop his textile art series with Ganeshji next yearTo understand the essence of Shahrsquos workmdashhe prefers the term ldquoartistrdquo over ldquodesignerrdquomdashone need only visit his jamdani units in Srikakulam Indiarsquos oldest Gandhian weaving district in Andhra Pradesh and his design studio in Hyderabad There the 2019 National Film Award winner for Costume Design for Mahanati is often seen in a uniform of navy or dark green linen shirts Marks amp Spencer or Brooks Brothers trousers and crocodileostrich skin shoes He embodies a shapeshifting relationship with handlooms leveraging them to explore contemporary themes resonating with heritageThis handwoven jamdani panel 41 x 50 inches was crafted in Srikakulam over 90 days using Khadi yarn Known for its intricate patterns and lightness the jamdani technique uses a supplementary weft where additional threads are woven into the base fabric to create motifsldquoBack in 2003 the roads to Srikakulam were hardly passablerdquo he recalls effortlessly switching between Telugu with the weavers and English with a smattering of Hindi for the media ldquoA couple of families practiced Khadi jamdani saree weaving with simple booti small motifs scattered across the fabric but their work wasnrsquot enough for them to thriverdquoWhat began as a small initiative with master craftsman Annaji Rao and a few looms has expanded to 120 training over 300 women weavers many of whom were once vegetable vendors These artisans now masters of jamdani Paithanis have contributed to the recreation of Ravi Varma sarees By modernising the designs and transforming them into luxury products Shah has introduced experimentation within traditional techniques ensuring consistent work and a sustainable income for weavers who now earn between Rs 14000 and Rs 20000 per month ldquoThis approach also secures the viability of my businessrdquo Shah admitsWhat do you aspire to create that will endure beyond your timeGaurang Shah Everything I know about textiles comes from selfeducation I am not from a design school It is my passion my fire While designers launch one collection every six months I create a new one every dayWhen I began working with weavers in 19992000 handloom was struggling for creativity I showed them that innovation was possible by using traditional techniques to create contemporary productsmdasha fusion so to speak Today we collaborate with over 7000 artists across 1617 states in IndiaEvery region of India offers unique textiles and crafts each with distinct designs colours and textures In contrast countries like Cambodia Thailand and Uzbekistan focus mainly on ikat While Europe offers only a limited selection of embroidery styles America has virtually none China relies on machine production and even Japan known for indigo and shibori sources jamdanis and Khadi from India Yet many design students today prefer to copy the West favouring gowns with net embroidery over handcraftThe industry is driven by cheap low quality production While many top designers talk about sustainability few are genuinely committed to preserving handloom artistry which requires patience and precisionToo often those with lesserquality creations are the loudest while our behindthescenes efforts speak for themselves Ultimately I want to leave a legacy that celebrates our diverse textile heritagemdashthe worldrsquos first wonder