Exhibition rediscovers TN’s hidden textile heritage

CHENNAI: When we think of textiles in Tamil Nadu, iconic weaves like Kancheepuram, Arani, or Thirubuvanam silk sarees usually take centre stage. But the state’s rich textile heritage goes far beyond these celebrated styles. That’s exactly what independent textile researcher Gayathri KK aims to spotlight through her ongoing exhibition, Resist-Revive. In this showcase, she brings to light Tamil Nadu’s lesser-known textile traditions.

“There are many techniques and weaves that people are unaware of. We wanted to highlight these. So, the exhibition is planned in three sections: printed, woven, and painted,” says Gayathri.

The woven section features a recreation of Tanjavur ikat from the 1800s, traditionally worn only during temple ceremonies. “Not many people know that ikat was once practiced in Tanjavur. We’ve recreated this textile and revived a historic design, staying as close to the original as possible, though we’ve made the pallu slightly longer. This type of saree is typically associated with temple rituals or weddings in south India,” she explains.

The exhibition also revisits the ikats and satin-weaving traditions of Ayyampet (Ayyampettai). The glossy, soft textiles, once admired in the 19th century, were locally known as Kutni. Interestingly, the term also appears in older West Asian trade records, suggesting possible historical connections through textile exchange.

The painted section explores hand-painted stoles in the Neerezhuthu style, Tamil Nadu’s version of what is more widely recognised as Kalamkari. One of the highlights is the Sikalnayakenpet stole featuring a canopy layout and a Kinnari stole, a design developed through the study of a private collection and archives from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

“The heart of the exhibition is the painted section, which includes batik, known in Tamil as Mezhugezhuthu, a wax-resist dyeing technique that was once practiced in Kumbakonam, Tinnevelly (Tirunelveli), and Karuppur. Using black-and-white archival images from a book, titled Cotton Painting and Printing in the Madras Presidency, I worked with artisans to decode key visual elements and adapt the method using suitable materials. The technique is no longer practiced today, but we’ve created a small recreation based on these archival resources. It’s presented here as part of an ongoing effort to understand, revive, and document this lost tradition,” shares Gayathri, who works as an IT professional. She dedicates her time outside of work to archival study, field conversations, developing design directions and working closely with weavers and artists to see each project through from start to finish.

The exhbition is on till August 17 at Kadambari Art Gallery, DakshinaChitra Museum.