AAINA

This exhibition features textile objects valued for the emotions and memories they possess, besides their exquisite craftsmanship. They bring their stories to life through narratives informed by personal experience. These textiles are each marked with expressions of celebration, love, resilience, pain, and euphoria.

India is a land of uniquely handcrafted textiles, some of which are passed on from one generation to the next as treasured keepsakes, while others may be acquired or self-made. Such textiles, which are handed down and considered part of the family's heritage, and other special textiles with stories indicating special events in the wearers life are thus not just objects of art but memory holders charged with emotions. Like humans, textiles too have stories embedded in them that are often unheard. If preserved for posterity, the unique stories embodied in each textile will help fill the gaps in our understanding of our culture, lineage, and family history. These stories can be instrumental in facilitating a dialogue between generations of their makers or owners. It is this perspective that has led the curator to document and preserve the stories behind India’s rich craft heritage of traditional textiles, which is unacknowledged by most Indian families.