006200

REVISITED

2017 | Eline Groeneweg-Bhatt

in collaboration with Kirit Chitara (IN)

Installation

Part of the exhibition

Craft & Costume / Ambacht in Dracht

Zuiderzee Museum Enkhuizen (NL)

15 Dec 2017 - 06 May 2018

Commissioned by

Textielfactorij / Zuiderzee Museum

Made by

Design

Eline Groeneweg-Bhatt, Kirit Chitara

Painting

Kirit Chitara & Family

Sleeves construction

Vinod Kumar Sharma, Manish Barsel

Material

Organic khadi cotton

(handspun and -woven)

Technique

Handpainted / natural dye

Dimensions

Peacock sleeve: 67 cm (l) - 47 (dia cuff)

Tree of Life sleeve: 70 cm (l) - 14 (dia)

Patterned sleeve: 58 cm (l) - 32 (dia)

Images

Above Flat drawings of the 'Peacock Sleeve' / Photo: Studio Bhatt

Below Exhibition view / Photo: Gwenn Smit / Courtesy of Zuiderzee Museum

Text

Studio Bhatt

Translation The English Writer

A peacock

In traditional Dutch dress, loose articles of clothing, such as the kraplap (shoulder cloth), the baaf (chest cloth) and detachable jacket sleeves, were often made of chintz and designed for showing off. This symbolic function is echoed in India, where it is almost impossible to be overdressed.

Kirit Chitara and I produced hand-painted cloth from which I made loose sleeves as contemporary ‘showpieces’. Besides featuring graphics derived from T1982-163 Revisited, an earlier piece that we produced for the 'Chintz, Cotton in Bloom' exhibition at the Frisian Museum (NL), this work also employs a tree of life motif as well as animal illustrations, such as that of the peacock, the national bird of India and a show off par excellence.

In making this piece, we strove to create something that would be informed by the richness of both our cultures, and if the resulting work embodies layers that convey more than aesthetic beauty, then we really have something that merits showing off.

flaunting his feathers