Jaipur city is a shopper delight and holding centre stage in its many markets is the tradition of beautiful hand block textiles, a craft that is centuries old, but ever fresh for its appeal.
Rajasthan’s sumptuous textile traditions are known to be largely driven by sustainable eco-friendly techniques that go back centuries and are still flourishing in small villages. Close to Jaipur the villages of Bagru and Sanganer have long been reputed for their brilliant hand printing traditions that celebrate their organic roots.
Hand-block printing, for the uninitiated, involves stamping of a design on cotton fabric with colour with the help of blocks made of wood into which the design has been carved. The community which has been pursuing this ancestral craft is known as chippa or printer.
An interactive workshop at an art residency, with a block printer that will nurture your understanding of a printing technique that is a part of India’s traditional and contemporary textile culture. As your eyes get fixated on the intricate sharpness of each carving, you can only marvel at the painstaking effort and incredible patience involved in each stage of the printing process.
Immerse yourself in the different stages of the printing process, with the help of swatches –from grey cloth to the final finished product. Following a quick demo, you can even make your very own hand-block creation by choosing from a variety of designs on wooden blocks, and a range of colours.
Colour your hands with a rainbow of blues, pinks, and reds after testing your skills at hand block printing with pigment, each offering a cultivated experience into the diversity in textiles. You could experiment with your new skills by printing a scarf or two table napkins. All material will be provided for you to practice and create the final print. Keep the windows of your mind open and enjoy the thrill of learning a new life skill.