'Benarsi' -an ode to a hyper-specialist extinct weave

An intricate hand-painting replicating a traditionally handwoven silk and gold thread ‘Benarsi’ sari, no longer woven by hand due to the unfortunate reality of the dying craft and it’s know-how in modern India. Painted for a Craft & Textiles of India exhibit in Delhi, India. Painted in a traditional Indian painting technique using earth powder pigments mixed with water and binder, painted onto a handmade Nepalese paper canvas. The significance of this work lies not just in its minute details capturing the glory’s and imperfections of this ornate weave, but in it’s nostalgic nod to the craft of hyper-specialist hand weaving techniques, which seem to have faded in the age of modern industrialisation and fashion production techniques. And as a result, impairing our ability to recognise and appreciate these niche hand weaving techniques and reducing our sensitivity to the impact of crafts no longer being practiced.