Bangladesh Winter Mela in Seattle

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Posted by:  Cathy

Len and I were very excited to receive an invitation from the Bangladesh Cultural Committee to the community’s winter celebration.   For those not familiar with it, the word “mela” comes from Sanskrit and is used in Bangladesh and elsewhere in South Asia to denote a gathering or fair, originally in rural areas but now in urban settings as well.

The Cultural Committee kindly allowed us some time to speak about Surayia and Threads, as well as to display nakshi kantha tapestries, other textiles of Bangladesh and promotional materials for the film.  We enjoyed meeting  Bangladeshis living in the Seattle area, eating some delicious food and enjoying a “trip to Bangladesh” without having to travel far from home.

Donobat!

Taking a closer look at "The Chess Players." Photo copyright Kantha Productions LLC

 

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Eid Greetings

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Posted by:  Cathy and Len

 

We wish all of our friends in Bangladesh and around the world a peaceful and blessed Eid, and happiness in the year to come.

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Eid Greetings

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We wish all of our friends in Bangladesh and around the world who are celebrating the end of Ramadan a heartfelt “Eid Mubarak.”

Tapestry design by Surayia Rahman. Photo copyright Anil Advani and Kantha Productions LLC.

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A tribute to mothers around the world

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Happy Mother’s Day!

Nakshi Kantha tapestry inspired by the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore:
“When I bring you coloured toys, my child, I understand why there is such a play of colours on clouds, on water, and why flowers are painted in tints – when I give coloured toys to you, my child.”

Photographs used with the kind permission of Surayia’s friend in Italy.
Click the pictures for a large view.

Surayia Rahman, a self-taught artist in Bangladesh, painted and designed hundreds of tapestries that are now appreciated around the world.  She is a mother herself, and also nurtured hundreds of young women in Bangladesh as she guided them to produce incredible embroidered tapestries.  Though these women were very poor, their talents and new skills helped them to feed their families, send their children to school and university, rent a home or own a piece of land.

  • For information on the documentary film in progress about Surayia’s art and life: KanthaThreads
  • For more information on the works of Rabindranath Tagore, see Crescent Moon: When and Why and Child-Poems
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