The Artisan Original: Design from the Grassroots of India
At a distance of 75.5 km from Jaipur, in the village of Aspura, four women wearing brightly colored clothes are knotting a rug as they converse with each other under the sweltering heat of the Indian summer sun. Their faces break into smiles as soon as they see me and they all start talking at once. The first question is always, “Kaise lag raha hai?” (How does it look?)
I will never tire of watching their hands fly as they knot a phera (warp) on the loom, working together and completely in sync as they pull the weft through. Intricate designs that form on the other side of the loom are an explosion of over twenty-five colors forming narratives about their own lived experiences and dreams.
The weaver’s identity is tied in many ways to the craft. They have grown up around the loom, watching and learning from their mothers and grandmothers. Most of them have been weaving since they were young children. They associate momentous occasions in their lives with the carpet that they were making at that time.
Manju Devi fondly remembers meeting me when she was making her first Manchahaa a year ago. Jaipur Rugs, the brand she works for has a collection called, ‘Artisan Original’ where weavers are asked to create their own carpet designs from leftover & excess material. In the local language, artisans call these carpets ‘Manchahaa’ which translates to ‘soul’s desire’. Every Manchahaa is a unique rug that can never be replicated, its designs come directly from the artisan’s heart and mind. It is a tribute to the rich heritage and culture that can be found at the grassroots and a decolonization of the design process unaltered by influences from the West.
Giving the weaver agency and control over what they make at the loom enables them to script their own narrative. Weavers traditionally belonged to the lower classes and were pushed to live at the periphery of the village. Victims of other-ing, they are the subaltern. For years, artisans have been treated differently for their craft. Godi Devi, a weaver who just started weaving her first Manchahaa told me that when she first started weaving twenty years ago, people would refuse to engage with her, saying that weavers carry disease. The ‘Artisan Original’ project is an attempt at erasing the stigma of inferiority and backwardness associated with weaving.
Usually three or four women work together to make rugs which take typically take about a couple of months to finish. They spend over six hours together every day (except Sunday) on the loom, until they finish the carpet and take it down from the loom (this is called ‘utaarna’).
This creates a bond between the women who are also often related through bonds of blood or marriage. Working in such close proximity makes them good friends and close confidants. Godi Devi, who weaves with Acchi Devi said that the loom brought them together. They consider their loom companions their biggest support system. When they sit at the loom, they forget everything else.
Weaving the Artisan Original can be described as work that connects the heart, hand and mind which is essential for holistic development. Weavers are more aware of their environment when creating a Manchahaa, drawing inspiration from their culture, experiences and environment to emulate on the loom. It is only when the heart, hand and mind connect and work in unison, not only with each other but also with their loom companions, that their thoughts are translated on the loom giving tangible form to their soul’s desires.
