We took a trip to the places where our textiles are born and breathed to life. And it has been an exhilarating journey of learning and exploring the craft traditions of India. It started with the captivating beauty and artistic endeavour of Rajasthani block printing. Each piece is a labour of love, as is evident in the way it is conceptualised and created. Here's what goes into the making of these products:
The Artist
Requiring extreme care and precision, hand block printing is only done by experienced artisans, often with one person dedicated to one print. In the inner circles, these prints are often referred to simply by the names of the karigars who work on them. So, every time you buy a genuine hand block printed product, it carries a little bit of the artist in it. And we think that’s just beautiful!
The Tools
Behind the patterns of hand block printing are intricate wooden blocks carved by expert artisan families who have passed on the legacy for generations. For every colour on your hand block printed piece, a separate wooden block is used which has been carved with the precise design or pattern. The outline block is called “Rekh” which is usually the most intricate and creates the basis of the design. This is filled in with larger blocks carved in bold reliefs, called “Datta”. And complemented with “Gad” which usually fills in the negative space of the design.
The Motifs
Hand block printing found its highest expression in India thanks to a diverse landscape alive with varied visual impressions. From local flora and fauna to historic, architectural and cultural influences, these have all found a home in the designs of hand-block. Each one is reminiscent of the land, making every hand block printed piece a visual journey to the streets where it was born. Amongst our specially crafted hand block pieces, you will find the classic Cypress, the traditional Marigold, the ubiquitous Gulmohar, local Date Palms, and lots more.
The Process
It takes approximately one day to print 50 to 60 meters of fabric with hand blocks. The process is slow but one which has been perfected over generations by families of karigars. Watching the printing in action is like seeing poetry in slow motion. With a steady hand and precise movements, the karigar dips the wooden block into coloured pigments and stamps it onto the cloth followed by a quintessential “thud” as he strikes the wood. Each dip, each stamp, each strike maintaining a well-practised flow.
The Beauty
As it’s made by hand, human error on these prints is not just avoidable it’s the mark of a genuine hand block printed piece. Amongst the well-versed, such little variations in colour and print are what differentiate a genuine product from mass-produced screen printing. Each of these makes the product in your hand unique and is worth appreciating for its imperfect beauty – something only found in artisanal textiles.
The love for textiles runs in our family. We are two generations. One that has spent over 4 decades in the business - manufacturing and exporting Indian artisanal products to the globe. And another that has been working on building brands that are true to our roots and cultural identity.
Together, we are taking our story forward with an endeavour to not just bring you the most beautiful karigari from around India, but also share the stories behind them. Because as we often love to say here at Aakaar, we are nothing if not storytellers with a knack for aesthetics.
A note of gratitude to all the artisans we have met and who work closely with us to build this dream. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. We’ve learnt a lot on the way 🙏