Everything, eventually goes back to the soil. For curator Sanchita Ghosh, that simple thought sits at the heart of Kachchi Mitti, which comes to Chennai this weekend with a selection of handcrafted fashion, textiles, jewellery and lifestyle products from across India. The name comes from kachchi mitti, or raw earth, but it also takes her back to the wet soil of childhood, when making things with your hands was entertainment, and sustainability was something mothers and aunts practised without ever calling it a trend. We spoke to Sanchita about what visitors can expect from the three-day exhibition.
The exhibition has travelled from Chennai to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata since its first edition, and Sanchita says its ideals have remained unchanged even as the curation has become sharper. “Earlier I used to search for participants. Now it is the participants who are searching for me,” she smiles.
The exhibition also asks what happens when something is too good to throw away. A mending workshop will show visitors how to repair stained or torn clothing rather than discard it, while makers will demonstrate how discarded coconut shells, ropes and other materials can be turned into utility products. “You can just add some elements and make it a little interesting, quirky,” suggests Sanchita.
Shopping, meanwhile, gets a few unexpected companions. Spread across two galleries, the exhibition will have fashion and apparel in the main gallery, while the second will house the craft section, workshops and a tarot card reader. The tarot reading, Sanchita says, became a surprise hit at an earlier Mumbai edition. “People don’t come to these exhibitions only to shop, they come for a kind of recreation,” she tells us. The reader ended up staying past closing time to get through the queue, and the experience convinced Sanchita to make tarot a regular part of her exhibitions.
Across 33 stalls, the Chennai edit brings together Bengal cottons, kanjeevaram, chanderi, ikat, ajrakh, bandhani, shibori, lambani embroidery, block prints, handmade juttis and more, alongside newer additions such as kidswear and fusion wear.
Sanchita is also drawing on what she learned from the city’s first edition. “When I came here for my first edition, I thought only saris would do well, but dresses did very well,” she recalls, adding that cottons also found a strong audience in Chennai’s heat, challenging her earlier association of the city primarily with silk.
For Sanchita, the pleasure lies in meeting the person and understanding the process behind what they buy. “Visitors will definitely take away a very good memory because they have actually spoken to the maker and know the process, which adds to their experience,” she says.
Entry free. August 21 to 22, 11am to 8pm. At CP Art Centre, Alwarpet.
Email: anoushkakundu@newindianexpress.com
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