The current exhibition of textiles from India and Laos at the Queensland Art Gallery caught my eye for their highly patterned and colourful surface decoration, in particular the dowry bags from GUJURAT , the state bordered by Rajasthan to the east and Pakistan in the north.
The Rabari people are nomadic and the women decorate their houses, bodies and textiles with elaborate symbols. Women gather daily for the afternoon ritual of embroidering and socialising.
Artists are often surprised and excited when an idea “just happens”. My intention was to capture the liveliness of these dowry bags and recreate in my own imagination the intricate nature of the works. From watercolours using a softer palette to constructing 3D pyramid shapes covered in design, I am reminded of the design process. Similarly, I am drawn to the cultural context in which these bags operate.
Having lived for many years in Indonesia collecting and studying textiles, I am connecting the story with the journey of Indian textiles from Gujarat to the Indonesian islands where Javanese batiks look like block prints from Gujurat.
