Kalamkari
Andhra Pradesh
The Andhra Pradesh Kalamkari evolved with the patronage of the
Mughals and the Golkonda Sultanate. Kalamkari art was once called
‘Vrathapani’. There are two distinct styles of kalamkari – Machilipatnam
and Kalahasti. Machilipatnam style is made at Pedana near
Machilipatnam.
Kalamkari is the art of painting on cloth and derives its name from the
word ‘kalam’, meaning pen or brush. Traditionally, Kalamkari paintings
were used to decorate temple chariots used in religious processions
or stretched behind the idols of Gods. The designs usually have a
main central panel and are surrounded by smaller blocks arranged in
rows which depict the major scenes from a legend. It may also include
verses from original texts written in black ink beneath the rows.
Traditionally, the craftsmen of Srikalahasti painted stories and scenes
derived from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which include the
story of Krishna and themes from the environment like the Tree of Life.
The cloth to be painted is dipped in a mixture of milk and ‘harda’ and
dried in the sun. The design is outlined on the cloth with a bamboo
sliver using ‘kasimi’ - a black dye made from iron filings and jaggery.
The interior of the design is then painted with various natural dyes one
after another, each involving a laborious process of application and
washing. Red colour is obtained by painting the relevant part of the
design with alum, washing in running water and then dipping in a dye
of madder.
J. Niranjan comes from a family of traditional Kalamkari artists. His father Gurappa Chetty is one
of the first recipient of the Padma Shri Award and is a founding member of Paramparik Karigar.
Niranjan received the state award in 1997 and the Shilp Jan award in 2002. He was invited
to conduct workshops at the India Festival at the Kennedy Centre in Washington in 2011. He
participated in a residency programme at the Museum of Norwich in June 2011. In 2013, he
participated in the Akshara Festival organised by UNESCO Paris. He won the International Bronze
Award in the Nantong International Contemporary Craft Competition held at Nantong China on 23
Oct, 2014. He participated in the World Craft Council Golden Jubilee Summit in Oct 2014.
