Bapu - Curator Talk/ Public Program

Khadi Exhibition

Khadi, India’s national fabric, crafts a compelling narrative linking it inextricably to the country’s history and to Mahatma Gandhi. Hand spun and hand-woven, the making of khadi today provides livelihoods to people spread out in the vastness of rural India. In a world that is increasingly directing its attention to things sustainable and eco-friendly, and to India’s wealth of handmade textiles, khadi stands to a play a significant role as a fashion fabric.

The exhibition component would highlight the diversity of khadi weaves and textures through a display of fabrics and garments. It would also consist of photographs of the different charkhas in use today and information panels outlining the history of khadi.

Sunaina Suneja has been working with khadi for thirty years now, advocating its wearability and its message through published articles, TV interviews, talks, exhibitions, fashion shows and presentations aimed at an Indian and international clientele. Developed over the years through hands-on work with craftspeople, she brings her own aesthetic sensitivity, appreciation and respect of traditional crafts onto the canvas of khadi. She has also worked extensively with other textile crafts of India, most prominently, indigo and the revival of an essential aspect of Phulkari embroidery in the villages of Punjab.

Some major exhibitions over the years dedicated to khadi include:

Indian Embassy and World Bank, Washington DC
Santa Fe International Folk Art Market
A solo exhibition at Santa Fe Museum
French Ambassador’s Residence, New Delhi
The Election Collection 2009
An annual collection in Delhi to celebrate Khadi under the label August Khadi