KALAMKARI – Traditional art form transformed into a fabric fashion
Kalamkari:
Kalamkari, an ancient painting form has gained its presence in the recent fabric styling of females of Tamilnadu. From ethnic sarees to modern kurtas, from overcoat to palazzos, Kalamkari designs are found everywhere. It is not new to the fabric world, instead it has a rich history of adorning the attires of Golconda sultanates of Andhra pradesh and the Nayak dynasty which ruled the Tanjore area of Tamilnadu. Let us have a look on the origin and course of this amusing art form.
Art and architecture plays the same vital role as like that of literary works and manuscripts in acquiring knowledge on our past history. Kalamkari is one such art form which has flourished mainly at two places of Andhra Pradesh – Srikalahasthi and Machilipattinam. Kalamkari literally means ‘Kalam’ referring to pen and ‘Kari’ referring to crafts work in Persian . Special pens made of wood are filled with natural colours. Crafts men, mostly women used to draw art forms ‘free hand’ over a cotton cloth. Used in scrolls, wall hangings etc.
Natural Colors:
Kalamkari painting attained its peaks of popularity when the Golconda sultanate patronized the art form. A smooth blend of hindu art form and Persian art form happened at this period after which the themes got extended to hindu mythology and mythological characters. The uniqueness of the Kalamkari painting is the natural colors used in it. The vibrant red, blue, green, yellow and black colors are extracted from vegetables helped for the sustenance of colors and its grand for a long time. This commercial value turned Srikalahasti and Machilipattiinam into important trade centres.
Journey Of Kalamkari to Tamilnadu:
How this art form of Andhra travelled to Tamilnadu is an interesting story. The Nayak dyanasty controlled the poligars of Tamilnadu, where the Serfoji Maharaja II ruled the Tanjore area of Tamilnadu. He is known for his patronage towards art and architecture. Many of the art forms flourished during his period. He is the one who brought the tradition of Kalamkari to Tamilnadu. The royal family wore the dresses bordered with golden laces imprinted with Kalamkari painting. Also the royal court was decorated with Kalamkari motifs and curtains.
Styles Of Kalamkari:
While Srikalahasthi is known for free hand drawing, Machilipattinam is famous for designed wooden blocks used for block printing. In 1950s Kalamkari lost its fame but due to the pressure of activists and international cultural organizations, it got revived. It got shifted from cotton fabric to silk fabric. Many boutiques are enthralled with silk varieties like Chanderi silk, Bhagalpuri silk etc imprinted with Kalamkari painting. Not only attires, this art form is seen in purses, handbags, scarves, bed sheets, curtains etc.
Trending Now:
This is the journey of Kalamkari towards the present day trend in Tamilnadu. Apart from mythological characters, trending designs are the floral art, elephants, peacocks, musical instruments, geometrical designs, Bharathanatya mudras, Kathakali dancers, Buddha statues etc. Kalamkari is imbibed by many variants like Punjabi Patiala pants to western palazzo pants. Fashion is a cycle and Kalamkari is no new to Tamilnadu. It has just attained the attraction once again in this cycle. People’s awareness to avoid synthetic colors is another reason driving them towards Kalamkari. Thus an art form has transformed into a hot style of fabric world.
