As unique as it may sound, Mata Ni Pachedi is a rare yet beautiful textile hand-painting art form. When we host Circle Experiences at Rajasthan Studio, our aim is to promote and enlighten all the artists out there with a rare and beautiful art form. This experience –in association with Ms. Sejal Agarwal- was a very extensively informative session, with abundant creativity and exquisite masterpieces by our artists!
Understanding the Artist & the Art Form
Sejal Agarwal is an interior designer and architect by profession, and an artist by obsession! She has always loved experimenting with rare art forms and Mata Ni Pachedi is one such form!
Mata Ni Pachedi originates from the beautiful state of Gujarat. It is uncommonly referred to as the ‘Kalamkari of Gujarat’. Even the technique of both these paintings is similar, namely- drawing with a pen (kalam) made out of bamboo!
This ritual cloth painting literally translates into “behind the mother goddess”, and is a painting that constitutes a temple of the goddess. It is an art form from Gujarat. The painting is a sacred connection to be close to the Mother Goddess and also a manifestation of creativity.
Starting the Workshop
Mata Ni Pachedi is an art form that typically associates with the importance of creating a border. This border becomes essential because the art form is so extensive and intricate, that the border serves as a negative space! We began with creating a double border of 2mm thickness. Then we moved on to the detailing inside the border. For artists, details are an essential part of any artwork. Without an eye for details and aesthetics, are you even an artist at all? Of course not! Sejal taught us the famous Leheriya Pattern. It is an Aztec/triangular pattern with intricate lines and very little spacing between them. The border will take you a good deal of time, but it will all be worth the effort!
We then moved on to create our main motif – A bird and a tree. Sejal enlightened us that traditionally, Mata ni Pachedi was made using only 3 organic colours- red, black and white. However, now artists have introduced 2 new colours- blue (indigo) and yellow (haldi). Interesting right? The motifs too were covered with intricate details comprising of lines and dots.
Highlights of the Workshop
The most phenomenal part about our Circle Experiences is the bond we create with the host and artists. This becomes stronger when communication is enjoyable. Sejal told us an intriguing tale about Vaahanawati Mata, while we were all creating our masterpieces. By the end of our workshop, we saw some sensational work and new renditions of the art form.
That’s all for now! Look out for new experiences hosted by us and be a part of this family full of creative minds! Till then, keep exploring, keep creating!
