Posted by:  Cathy and Len

Cathy presented on the topic of “Kantha Reimagined” on October 9, 2020, at the virtual conference “Textiles on the Move”  based in Leiden, The Netherlands.  Jointly organized by the International Institute for Asian Studies, the Textile Research Center and the Tracing Patterns Foundation, the conference brought together scholars and curators from around the world to explore the theme of textiles transcending place and sharing inspirations across cultures.

Sandra Sardjono of Tracing Patterns first suggested doing a short video presentation on kantha, which encouraged us to review literature as well as our own notes and memories of discussions with artisans, scholars, curators and collectors about this art form native to Bengal.  Condensing years of scholarship into a short presentation was a challenge, but you can watch the result here (and on the IIAS website after October 15).  Tell us what you think.

It is hard to imagine, but kantha, with its centuries of tradition, was in danger of becoming a lost art by the mid-20th century.  The revival and reimagination of kantha was the result of inspiration and dedication of hundreds of people.  Artist Surayia Rahman and the embroiderers with whom she worked in the Skill Development Project for Underprivileged Women played a key role.  They tell their inspirational story in the documentary THREADS.

Of great importance to the revival of kantha was the effort of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to preserve the kantha collection of Stella Kramrisch, the groundbreaking art historian and curator, acquired during her years in India starting in the 1920s.  Photographs of kantha from the PMA inspired a new generation of Bangladeshi kantha-makers, who saw art to hang on a wall growing from what had once been considered a domestic craft.  The preservation of Bengali culture in an American museum, and its return to its homeland as inspiration for a new art form, is a great example of “textiles on the move.”

#WomenLead #Innovation #Artisan #Bangladesh #India #Textiles #Kantha

Kantha Reimagined

 

Posted by Cathy

Thank you to our friends at ClothRoads for the recent blog post about making THREADS.  We were happy to share some behind-the-scenes stories about how the documentary was created and some of the challenges and serendipity involved.  THREADS took five years to make … and the story is still continuing!  The blog post also has images from the earliest stages of film production to the final version of THREADS.  Thanks, as always, to Anil Advani for his photographs of Surayia Rahman and the artisans she worked with for 25 years to create exquisite embroidered nakshi kantha wall hangings.

Be sure to take a look at all of the ClothRoads website to experience textiles from around the world.  The site is a global textile marketplace where you can obtain unique items and whet your appetite for travel to see them being made in person.  The blog contains articles that you won’t find elsewhere, offering insights into textile creations and creators.  If you have an interest in world textiles or meaningful travel, the ClothRoads blog is a must-read.

 

Filming at Surayia’s home

 

 

Posted by:  Cathy and Len

Here is a link to the latest newsletter for THREADS.  You’ll find information about the national award Surayia Rahman recently received, along with details of how and where you can get your own copy of THREADS, and how you can request it for your local library or your school.

We’re so grateful to many people who have helped along this journey, and we hope to have your support as we move to the next phase of this inspiring project: continuing the outreach for the film, bringing it to women and girls around the world and using it to improve the lives of artisans everywhere.

Links to past newsletters and to other articles about Surayia Rahman and THREADS is on the film website here.

Very best wishes for 2018!

Surayia and women of ARSHI.

Posted by:  Cathy and Len

Welcome to the new, updated, kanthathreads.com!

Many, many thanks to Elizabeth Hendrix of RippleFLIX for her vision, energy and skill!  We appreciate your help more than we can say.  And thanks also to the tech staff at Siteground for helping us go live today.

Threads is now available for educational institutions, libraries and for community screenings at distributor Collective Eye.

For home use (without public performance rights) you can buy a DVD on Amazon.com or stream the film on Vimeo.com.

Please help us spread the word, and ask your public library and school to get a copy!

Surayia and women of ARSHI.

Posted by:  Cathy and Len

THREADS poster design by Lynn StevensonWe wish everyone a happy and healthy 2016!  You can read our end-of-year recap newsletter here.

2015 has been a year filled with activity for Threads, and we look forward to announcing more exciting news soon.  Please keep following the list of screenings on our home page and Facebook, and do contact us at info@kanthathreads.com if you or someone you know would like to host a screening of the film.

As we noted in the newsletter, we are fundraising to dub the English portions of Threads into Bangla, and to travel to Bangladesh to show the film to a number of audiences, including in the slum where our friends from Spreeha work.  Please consider a tax-deductible year-end contribution to these efforts via the International Documentary Association.

Thanks to everyone who has helped us so much this year, especially to Lynn Stevenson who designed beautiful posters, flyers, bookmarks and postcards.