On Tuesday I went to London to see a play. I have a few hours to kill between the time I arrived at Waterloo and the start of the play so I decided to go and check out what was happening at the Southbank Centre.... and it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise!
From the 12th to the 22nd of April, Southbank is hosting the Alchemy festival which celebrated the art, dance, music, literature and design from South Asia. From what I could see in those few hours, there seemed to be a mixture of traditional folk artists and modern designs.
In the main foyer there was a display and demonstration by the
JIYO initiative... an innovative design-led enterprise working with skilled rural artisans.
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| Charkha |
I ended up being a translator between this woman and an English visitor. It takes her around 8 hours to spin enough cotton to be made into a metre of cloth!
This Rajastani instrument I was told is called Ravan... like the ten headed king of Hindu mythology.. apparently because of the loud volume that can be produce from it!
There were beautiful patterns and colours everywhere.
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| Puppets waiting to perform |
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Puppet dance
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| Shadow puppets |
There were some wonderful
Ikat saris hanging from the ceiling. Ikat is prised for it wonderful handmade craftsmanship.
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| Ikat Saris |
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| Old Bollywood |
I was so, so, so tempted to buy this illustration but didn't have the cash!:(
This is Madhubani art which has inspired my own illustration and comic work.... but of course this is way more intricate and beautiful!
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| Madhubani art |
On the lower level of the foyer, there was an installation called Re-imagined Dreams. Artist
Sabari Majumdar worked in collaboration with Asha, a Lambeth-based South Asian women's organization that works to support survivors of domestic violence, including forced marriages.
To be honest, when I was first reading the description, I assumed that Asha was based in India. The thought that forced marriages would be an issue in the UK didn't even cross my mind!
The installation is a collaborative re-interpretation of a traditional South Asian folk tale titled 'The Flowering Tree'.
The most amazing coincidence was that as we got talking we realized that we had lots of friends in common back in India! The world can be such a small place, even in a billion people country like India!:)
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| Re-imagine dreams textile installation |
There was also the Brit Pak exhibition which showcase the working of emerging British Pakistani artists including Sofia Niazi.
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| Sofia Niazi |
I really enjoyed myself at this fair. It felt good to be surrounded by sounds and sights of South Asia.
And being a comic artist, how could I not love this caption?:) I agree!
1 comment:
loved it nanu.... keep up the blogging!!! it's very good...
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