Minister of Textiles Shri. Giriraj Singh and Minister of State for Textiles Shri. Pabitra Margherita inaugurated the Indian Textiles Gallery II, in an exhibition titled “Tradition and Innovation”.
New Delhi (India), August 10: The National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy at Pragati Maidan unveiled the highly anticipated Indian Textiles Gallery II on August 8, 2024. It was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Minister of Textiles, Shri Giriraj Singh and Hon’ble Minister of State of Textile, Shri Pabitra Margherita.
“This exhibition has brought to life the fast-disappearing crafts of India and for the young generation it will be a great source of inspiration. They will understand the nuances of how rich our culture was and witness the innovation,” said Shri Giriraj Singh.
Adding that the display of the artisan’s work is a lesson in how our legacy was replete with exquisite weaves and artistry. Art and design aficionado Sunil Sethi said, “I was delighted the FDCI got an opportunity to set up this exhibition. It took us over eight months to sift through the mammoth number of vintage artefacts and see which ones will fall into a distinct narrative. The most remarkable and innovative textiles, the sheer beauty of handwork and design thinking can be seen in this exhibit. Minister Giriraj Singh, was our guest of honour, and showed appreciation for the exhibition.” The FDCI would like to thank the Crafts Museum and the Ministry of Textiles for all their assistance.
The curation was carried out by Sunil Sethi and art historian Dr. Jyotindra Jain. They both meticulously selected items from a pool of approximately 2,600 museum objects. Their expert team created a storyline that includes sections on Kalamkari, embroideries, brocade, block prints, resist dyed fabrics, woven saris like the Tangaliya, weaves of India, and the exquisite pieces by Vishwakarma Artisans, emphasizing on their revival.
Also present were senior officials from the Ministry of Textiles, Secretary Smt. Rachna Shah, additional secretary Sh. Rohit Kansal, DC of Handicrafts Smt. Amrit Raj, DC of Handlooms Dr. M Beena and Additional secretary and Financial Advisor Sh. Asit Gopal. This project is under the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles Smt. Amrit Raj. The gallery showcases the dynamic evolution of Indian textiles, celebrating both traditional genres, as well as contemporary aesthetic innovations.
The Indian Textiles Gallery II is a testament to the ever-evolving ethos of textiles. The exhibit highlights how traditions have transformed and evolved over centuries, adapting to regional variations, incorporating modern influences.
It features an extensive array of textile genres — laborious and painstakingly executed. With almost 150 objects on display, the gallery uses innovative museum standards for lighting and presentation. Specially designed LED lighting with sensors, and dimmers enhances the visual experience, while podiums, platforms, and toughened glass showcase the vintage textiles.
In addition to these sections, a dedicated area will have a change of exhibit every three months — it will feature modern transformations of traditional textiles, showcasing extraordinary innovative works on a rotational basis. This time it is textile fashion designer Payal Jain’s retrospective of 30 years.
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