Mehr مہرؔ
MR23021
Asymmetrical patchwork of cotton handwoven in Arunachal Pradesh
Mehr of being able to visualise an intangible and turn it into tangible. Each strip of patchwork visualised in the mind is translated into a textile. The asymmetry of it is an act of understanding the inherent symmetry and yet not confining to it.
In 2013, we brought about 500 kgs of cotton yarn to Arunachal Pradesh and took it as a drive to sensitise weavers towards using cotton over synthetic yarns for their indigenous weaves. Amla has championed the work we carried out with Tai Khampti weavers for more years than I could ever imagine. She began engaging untrained weavers, single mothers, and older women to engage in weaving plain, checks and striped fabrics. Such textiles are easily available at a very low cost in mainland India. Thereby, economically it was not a great decision. But at a deeper level, it brought wealth to a lot of homes in her neighbourhood. Rather than buying plain handloom fabrics from mainland, we began creating livelihood opportunities by weaving less intricate weaves as a medium of training new weavers and convenient income for trained ones. Some weavers took their payments part in money and part in yarn. They expressed wish to wear cotton themselves. This was the high point of this cotton drive with Tai Khampti tribe.
Mehr is a one of a kind textile designed to highlight a unique coming together of various techniques and creativity of handcraft. This design will not be recreated. Mehr comes with a blouse fabric designed to encourage mora fireflies to bring their own authentic spirit to the fabrication of blouse fit, usage of borders and edgings.
Blouse worn by Nikita is not included.
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
― Desmond Tutu