Stiched Landscapes was a two-day Darning Workshop led by artist Priya Ravish Mehra and internationally renowned textile artist, curator and researcher Yoshiko Iwada, along with Rafoogar Shariq. The workshop was an extension of Priya Ravish Mehra’s project Making the Invisible Visible that brought to focus the lesser known Rafoogari tradition of Najibabad in Uttar Pradesh and looked at the technique as a proposition for smaller sustainable ecologies.
Programme:
Session I: Introduction (11.00 AM to 11:45 AM)
Introduction to Rafoogari and Boro led by Priya Ravish Mehra and Yoshiko Wada
Session II: Discussion (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM)
The second session focussed on the techniques of darning looking at themes of environmental sustainability, mending as metaphor, darning using different materials and restoring broken objects.
Session III: Workshop (1:45 PM onward)
This was a demonstration of traditional darning skills led by Rafoogar Shariq followed by a workshop on Rafoogari techniques with the participants. Participants were encouraged to bring damaged fabric, old shawls etc along. The workshop also focussed on innovative/speculative/imaginative ways of darning, using diverse materials and mediums like plastics, staples, pins, jute, rags etc.
The workshop led by Rafoogar Shariq continued on the next day from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.