13-19.05.2017

“Kullu Woven Art” unfolded in the Roerich Gallery

The exhibition was a success: it proved popular with the IRMT visitors, showed Ms Bali’s talent as designer and artist in her own right, and aptly demonstrated the power of Himachali loom to safeguard the tradition and create something new.

On May 13-19, 2017 the International Roerich Memorial Trust hosted the exhibition of woven products by Ms. Sunita Bali, Design Consultant with the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. In her professional capacity Ms. Bali runs the government project for the preservation and promotion of traditional weaving techniques in the districts of Kullu. She develops new marketable designs and encourages the weavers of Himachal to make products that are both traditional and modern, as well as commercially successful. This at once helps to preserve the glorious tradition of Kullu weavers and provide them with additional income.

In the exhibition she chose to display some of the products designed by her and created in collaboration with local craftsmen. These included handbags, cell phone cases, key chains, shawls, stoles, jackets and women’s dresses. Displaying traditional Kulvi patterns and finished with Kulvi borders, they looked both handy and attractive.

Ms Bali also displayed her own woven pictures: female portraits; mountain landscapes that were admittedly inspired by Roerich’s art and combined lofty mountain peaks with Tibetan monasteries decorated with lines of prayer flags; and seascapes literally breathing warmth and freshness.