February 2015

 

The Ghadai project was an initiative by the Kutch-based NGO, Khamir with the potters of Kutch. On display at Hermes, are special pieces of traditional Kutch pottery that have been re-created by the potters in collaboration with the Khamir & Ghadai project team. These traditional pottery objects were used extensively in Kutch but have now been lost to time. As a result of a largely oral tradition of continuing know-how, and the lack of formalized curation and documentation of traditional crafts, some of these pieces are not even found in museums. It was through dedicated efforts of the team that these special objects and the potters who were familiar with the techniques of making these forms were identified.

 

As the curator of this project, I worked closely with the Khamir team and the Kutch potters to develop a body of work that would showcase and do justice to the 7000-year old history of Kutch pottery. The potters created magnificent works for the show, pushing themselves out of their comfort zones and viewing their works from many different lenses.

 

This project was supported by the Hermes Foundation, Paris and the showing of special works took place at Hermes, Mumbai.

 

You can read about the Ghadai show as published in Vogue.

 

Have a look at our Ghadai trailer too!