Exhibition tells journey of cotton to handwoven fabric

New Delhi : An interactive exhibition on the textures, dyes and sounds of handloom weaving familiarises the viewer about the backstory of a simple woven cotton fabric and the skill that goes into it.

The exhibition titled "Many yarns of the cotton handloom story" is open till September 3 at the India International Centre (IIC) here.

It presents myriad objects to recreate the weaver's context: pictures of the handloom process, tools used by the weaver, yarn used in dyeing and the fabrics woven.

The exhibition narrates the story of how cotton is made into a fabric, what tools and materials are used, and what capacity a weaver needs to create a normal everyday fabric, Latha Tummuru, from the organisers Dastkar Andhra, told IANS.

The exhibition puts focus on the medium-skilled weaver and the medium-range handloom products, in a discourse that celebrates high-end weaving and products.

"For Delhi, such an exhibition is important because there are many designers promoting khadi, for instance. Although I feel people are appreciating handloom products more, nobody has any idea of how it is made," Tummuru said.

"For people to imagine why does a weaver make what he makes, and the challenges he faces, they should know the context in which a weaver functions," she said.

The sensory exhibition allows visitors to touch, feel, see and even smell the original dyes and fabrics, allowing a deeper understanding of the handloom process, she added.