Transcript

Reclaiming our identity that directly connects us to our soil.

This section introduces us to very special natural fibres. Cotton that emerges from the soil - self coloured in a shade of golden brown almonds. At Yali, we work with an indigenous variety of cotton that has a natural coloured palette. Cotton has become synonymous with the colour white and the BT variety today; however, prior to independence, the scenario of cotton was very different from what it is today. 97% of cotton came from the indigenous variety (desi cotton), each distinguished in its texture and environment from different parts of the country .Yali seeks to foster the use of these indigenous varieties in light of their demise from the cotton industry. Redeveloping them with the simplicity of detail through design intervention, the collection’s design is led by structure of the fabric.The present exhibit displays two indigenous varieties of cotton- Brown cotton and Kala cotton.

Brown Cotton  and Kala cotton
Brown cotton is an indigenous cotton variety, which is drought and pest resistant making it economically viable as it is inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Grown in Dharwad, Karnataka, this variety of natural brown coloured cotton eliminates the dyeing process making it one of the most sustainably produced cotton fabrics. Kala cotton, displayed here is an indigenous variety of rain fed cotton grown in arid regions of Kutch, Gujarat. Popularly known as Rammol, the crop is organically grown at all stages of production.

The Registry of Sarees was the first in the country to licence the seed of Brown cotton and at Yali we undertake the whole process from growing the cotton to processing it to weaving the final fabric. Displayed is a brown cotton quilt woven by the Kaudi artisans at Dharwad. Khudrand presents us with the opportunity to materialistically approach our roots - bringing us closer to who we are and where we come from.

MM -Photograph on the wall
On the wall here, you can observe in the photograph, a display of indigenous varieties of cotton called Yerrapatti or red cotton interacting with gold zari. These sarees are  from the collection of Meanings, Metaphor- Handspun and Handwoven in the 21st Century, displayed  at Coimbatore, January 2019. The exhibit was a series of contemporary iterations from Martand Singh’s Khadi : The Fabric of Freedom, presented  by The Registry of Sarees from its archive of historical textiles. Photography courtesy  : Pallon Daruwala