On September 11th brothers Jabbar and Abdullah Khatri presented "Pattern Recognition" a lecture about the art of bandhani tied resist. A short way into the presentation the brothers opened a piece that had recently been tied. The tying these works can take weeks and months to complete. Opening them takes only seconds.
A skilled pull along the diagonal and all the ties pop off. The threads that were used to do the tying are removed and the finished textile is set free.
The evening was introduced by Tim McLaughlin.
Jabbar and Abdullah are brothers with the now-famous last name of Khatri. The khatris are craftspeople, specifically the name khatri denotes a dyer. But Jabbar and Abdullah are unusual even among the artisans of Kachchh. Their family has a long tradition of working in the bandhani resist technique, but generations ago they abandoned the craft. Then in 1992, Abdullah and Jabbar made the decision to return to it. The reason for this return, what motivated them to return to a life of making after wandering away for generations, is the subject of tonight’s lecture.
Certainly they have been successful in plying their craft.
In 2006 and 2007 they received the UNESCO seal of Excellence. They have been regular participants in the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market for over ten years. In 2017 the brothers received the Living Tradition Award from the Santa Fe Folk Art Market, and award which honours those who are extraordinary artisans and who contribute to the preservation of their culture through reviving and strengthening a traditional folk art, with a strategy for passing on the tradition to future generations.The brothers who market themselves as SIDR, employ over 200 craftswomen from 8 villages in Kutch, Gujarat, India. The women are able to work from the comfort of home, at their own convenience. This income is extremely valuable to their families, and in some cases, is their sole means of support.
Please join me in welcoming Abdullah and Jabbar Khatri.
