Coimbatore-based brand Maggam is creating a conversation around the hand-drawn off-shoot of kalamkari 

There are rules and then there are exceptions to the rule. Prasoona Anand is the latter. Challenging the ongoing exodus of artisans abandoning their generational trade as textile craftsmen, this 47-year-old is giving kalamkari a fighting chance as she launches a preview collection of handpainted textiles this weekend. Daughter of a kalamkari artisan from Sri Kalahasti and an artisan herself, the Coimbatore-based entrepreneur hopes to create a distinct narrative (from a craftsperson’s perspective) through her upcoming project titled Maggam. “In today’s market, block-printed designs get passed off as the traditional freehand drawn kalamkari patterns. As someone who grew up watching my father work tirelessly over reams of fabric with nothing but a bamboo pen and ink, I wanted to rekindle a conversation on the traditional nuances of kalamkari,” she begins. 

Tracing history

Taking us back to a period of her childhood, Prasoona’s earliest memory of engaging with kalamkari is from when she was six-years-old, and was allowed to colour the big motifs her father had drawn. “And all for the price of 25 paise,” she says, with a laugh. Easily distinguishable from the Machilipatnam block printed variety, Prasoona believes that the Kalahasti patterns are the truest interpretation of the word kalam (pen), kari (work). “Kalamkari’s roots are from Sri  Kalahasti and these designs still make use of traditional motifs—human figures and geometric patterns—and employ five natural dye colours of black, maroon, blue, green and yellow.”

This day, that age 

While nostalgia plays a major role in Prasoona’s debut collection, the designer is aware of the need to keep things contemporary. Offering a range of draped silhouettes like saris, dupattas and stoles, alongside running fabric, in cotton, silk and crepe, traditional patterns come interspersed with paintings of birds, animals, flowers and dancing figures. “Originally, the craft form was meant for wall hangings and was used to retell stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Hari Kathas. My collection mixes these popular elements with designs inspired by spring and summer.”   

Slated to throw open the doors of her brick and mortar outlet at Sitra following the preview, Prasoona tells us that the store will only operate on an appointment basis.

Fabric starts at Rs 1,500.  At Whispering Stones on February 16 and 17. From 10 am onwards.