Glimpses of a Kashmiri Artisan’s Craft
What we wear, sleep in, drape over ourselves, and so on are a largely ignored part of our daily lives. What we usually forget is that someone sat down and spent hours, sometimes days, to make them. The artisan’s lifeblood forms the core of every item off this everyday artform.
It is in search of this essence of the makers’ lives who create the textiles that we so deeply embrace over our bodies and hearth that we were led to Noor Mohammad, an astute craftsman who has dedicated around half a century of his life to practicing his craft. We were lucky to be introduced to him by his young collaborator Jehangir, who acts as a liaison between him and House of Wandering Silk.
Our sojourn to Srinagar found an interesting direction when Jehangir graciously invited us to his home. He was kind enough to act as the translator between Noor Mohammad and us, helping us understand and marvel with ease. He explained his process of working with designers and artisans. It is intriguing how these traditions have found a place in a contemporary global market. One of the most refreshing things to accomplish in our world is transforming craft legacies for a modern context. Their work is a portal to future possibilities, from teaching about color ways to finding the middle ground between entrepreneurship and artistry.
This collaborative partnership represents the artisans’ work as an equal share of the design process. It marries their craftsmanship to the aesthetics of contemporary consumers.
While linguistically Noor Mohammad is limited to only spoken Urdu, his craftsmanship is bound by symbols that speak to everyone. His body of work expresses his will to stand by his craft in a region marred by conflicts. It is a testament to the painstaking effort, discipline, and dedication showcased by generations of Kashmiri artisans.
Mr. Mohammad is skilled in the art of ‘Kashmiri punch needlework’. This technique has been cradled in the Kashmir valley for ages and by him since boyhood. Often referred to as painting with thread, it is an embroidery style where a thick needle is used on fabric without stitching through it to push the thread or yarn for creating a unique textured effect. It is a very low volume and slow craft process where yarns are spun and then dyed without using any chemicals.
We found the artisan in a room full of sunlight-showered colorful yarns. At the moment, he was making a jacket that would take 21 days to finish. The Kashmiri home-like interiors feel with walnut-wood doors and windows that overlook a field of greens. The clear blue Kashmiri sky looked ethereal and imprinted our visit to this artisan’s home in our hearts forever.
We fell in love with these authentic craft collaborative enterprises because they feel personal, have an intrinsic human touch, and come without any factory or workshop interventions. Moreover, these are coming from the deep roots of the old city of Srinagar.
Commissioned by House of Wandering Silk
