A New View of Punjab as Seen Through Phulkari, Its Wonder Weave

Exhibition, “Mela Phulkari: Threads of Punjab” explores Punjab’s socio-cultural narratives through the famed fabric.

Fashion is an extension of culture — it continuously looks up to it, feeds from it, evolves from it. If culture is a river, fashion is its most loyal tributary.

Cinema too, armed with the richness of its medium has tried to bring various cultures to life. Indian cinema has been particularly kind to Punjabi culture — partly because many of the famous Indian directors, came from Punjabi households.

We have loved Kareena Kapoor’s portrayal of the boisterous Punjabi kudi from Bhatinda, as we have loved Happy Singh (Akshay Kumar), a gold-hearted boy from the pind (villages in the heartland of Punjab).

But Punjabiyat as portrayed in the movies is seen as a catchall of Punjabi culture.

And somewhere amidst the visual tropes that have come to signify the North Indian state, a part of its indigeneous art, craft and textiles, seems to have been lost.

To correct this, Concept 1469 and art historian Alka Pande have come together to identify, accept and critique Punjab’s past and current socio-cultural narratives through the metaphor of Phulkari, with the third edition of the exhibition, “Mela Phulkari: Threads of Punjab”.

Many interesting exhibits are on display at the exhibition, put together by Concept 1469’s Kirandeep Kaur and Harinder Singh and historian Alka Pande, which goes on from April 7-17 at the Open Palm Court, India Habitat Centre, Delhi.

Among the delightful curation of pieces, one is titled Trinjan Tambu by Harinder Singh, Amrita Mahindra, Nona Kaur and Simran Kharbanda.

Here, the artists exhibit the patch worked phulkari tent structure, which in its open and slit paneled structure denotes the inclusiveness that the culture stands for.

Baagh de Rang by Sanjaria Bedi is an installation to celebrate the chromatic marvel of baagh embroidery, the hand embroidered loop of colourful threads on khaddar fabric.

While Virsa by Bandeep Singh is a collection of photographs depicting life in rural Punjab.

The photographs were shot in Sangrur, a town that was once among India’s princely states.

Chanan by Anjali Kalia is a garment installation taking the viewer through the evolution of clothing in Punjab through the various eras, ranging from the emergence of Sikhism to contemporary interpretations of the same.

Mela Phulkari 3 uses phulkari as a pivot to re interpret stories about Punjab. Phulkari is a tool which signifies various connotations - past n present of Punjab. Phulkari is used as a metaphor for women empowerment, social bonding, narratives of life, tributes to Punjab’s institutions, movements n heroes, places n people. For eg. We have shown the inclusiveness of family bonding primarily women through the various of the tambu created with baaghs. Similarly khulla sher is a collaborative effort where women in Sangrur are encouraged to create embroidered patches, their interpretations of Punjab whether its a motive or a poem.

Kirandeep Kaur, Concept 1469 

Mela Phulkari has a particular focus on the craft traditions which reveal the identity and politics of the women of Punjab

Alka Pande, Art Historian 

People are not very well aware of what Phulkari is. Through our installations, we are trying to define it for the people of Punjab and others

Kirandeep Kaur, Concept 1469 

The brand, Concept 1469, as evident from its name — is a conceptual brand that is steeped in the roots of Sikhism, from where it also gets the number 1469 in its name — signifying the year when the religion is said to have been established.

Victims smitten by Punjabiyat’s richness, including director Imtiaz Ali are participating in the event. Ali speaks on Saturday April 16 taking viewers through the cinematic journey that he charted in his movies somewhere in the hinterlands of Punjab.

About what the mela really signifies, perhaps historian Alka Pande says it best.

The socio-cultural fabric of the state, the vibrancy, the myths and legends, the stories of women, and the complexity of a woman’s dreams of rural Punjab which are being transformed with the rapid economics of development

Alka Pande, Art Historian 

(With inputs from IANS)