Prasoona Anand brings her family legacy of Kalamkari in an exhibition called Vasanta Ruthuvu

“I am calling my exhibition Vasanta Ruthuvu because it is spring time,” says Prasoona Anand who comes from Sri Kalahasti and a tradition of Kalamkari art (her father, the 78-year-old Bhrammaiah, is a master craftsman). Prasoona will present her collection of hand-painted Kalamkari fabric, saris, stoles, dupattas and blouse pieces at her exhibition today.

“I was six years old when my father allowed me to fill in the maroon shade in a sketch of Krishna. I was very good at it, as I coloured carefully and did not allow it to go out of the outline. I clearly remember how thrilled I was,” laughs the 47-year-old.

Natural tools and dyes

Prasoona’s artistic abilities had to be put on the backburner, as she had a young family to look after but now that she is relatively free she has decided to go back to her roots and Kalamkari art.

Info you can use When: February 16 & 17; 10.00 am to 8.00 pm

Where: Whispering Stones,BRCF Perks Arch Road, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar

Call 9543871117 or visit mag-gam.com for more

The real Kalamkari is a long process, she explains. “It is not the work of a single person. An entire family is involved as it has more than 10 steps to get everything ready before the paint is applied. Even to sketch the design, one needs to prepare twigs from the tamarind tree. They are burnt and used to draw the preliminary designs on the cloth. The cloth itself undergoes a lot of prepping,” she says.

Filling in the colours

The original Kalamkari saris are first soaked and washed in the waters of the Swarnamukhi, dried on its banks and then soaked in milk for a few days and again dried. Flowers, roots, bark and seeds go into making the art so special. Only natural colours are used and no chemicals at all, explains Prasoona.

“My father and others of his generation would paint panels depicting scenes from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, or from other myths. My father is famous for his depiction of the Krishnaleela,” says Prasoona with pride. She remembers how, during Harikathas in her village, the performers placed the painted Kalamkari panels with the Gods on stage before starting their performance.

How it’s done Madhavi and Chandrakala have travelled from Sri Kalahasti to show visitors how Kalamkari painting is done

The demonstration will be between 11.00 am and 1.00 pm and 4.00 pm and 6.00 pm on both days

Since Prasoona wants to retain the sanctity of Kalamkari painting, she alternates between Srikalahasti, where she has a home and the support system to do the art the way it should be done, and Coimbatore where she lives and hopes to show her creations. “It takes 20 days to paint one sari and I already told you how complicated and long drawn out the process is. Back in the village, there are many women who do Kalamkari but do not necessarily have the means to sell or show their work. I hope to fulfil that requirement,” she says.

Vasanta Ruthuvu brings the best of Prasoona’s Kalamkari. “The motifs in this collection include the lotus, peacocks, flowers, dancing figures and, of course, Krishna,” says Prasoona. Besides saris in cotton, organza, pure silk, Tussar, crepe and linen, there will also be dupatta, blouse pieces, stoles and running fabric. The prices range from ₹2,750 for a blouse piece to saris in the ₹20, 000 range. The exhibition is to announce the launch of her store Maggam (which means loom) at SITRA.