Titled ‘Ramazan Diaries,’ the colourful wall hangings on display are inspired by diaries offering a daily record of events, thoughts and rituals peculiar of the month of Ramazan.
“During the Ramazan of 2010, 14 women from Chitral maintained daily diaries to keep a record of their thoughts in words and drawings. Over the subsequent months, the artisans used these diaries as inspiration to create this collection of hand-embroidered textiles. The collection depicts their daily life and practices during Ramazan,” Ange Braid from polly&me informed. Ange clarified that the current collection is different from the one recently displayed at Satrang because it highlights the role of technology in the lives of these women. In addition to stories related to kitchens and ‘dastarkhwans,’ the women artists have depicted mobile phones and text messages in their intricately embroidered wall hangings. “The selection focuses on the importance of time in a Chitrali woman’s life during Ramazan and the role of technology in their daily comings and goings. In a way, they can be seen sharing their private space and conversations through these textiles,” gallery’s director Nageen Hyat said.
The women participating in the exhibition are part of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) owned social enterprise Mogh, which was established in 2006 as a public company to create income and employment opportunities for women of Chitral. Over the years, Mogh has trained over 3,000 women artisans in a variety of skills, including Shu (handmade woollen fabric), embroidery, knitting and crochet. Currently, Mogh works with 1,400 women, primarily from poor families, who are producing embroidery pieces and other materials for high-end handicrafts and fashion products for local and foreign markets.
In March 2008, polly&me, a social enterprise working with Mogh, invited women from Chitral’s embroidery collectives, to participate in a series of creative workshops. Using inspiration from their daily lives, the women produced a collection of 23 hand-embroidered textiles for the exhibition. While the first exhibition materialized in the shape of ‘Gup Shup’ or narratives focusing on the way of life of Chitrali women, the second and third are based on themes chosen from diaries written by 14 Chitrali women.
The handbags on display are a project of Kai, a joint initiative of polly&me and Mogh, and has been initiated to encourage the creative potential of Chitrali artisans in the design and making of their own products. Hand-painted pottery and trays by Ilona Yusuf are also included in the exhibition.