Siju Shamji Vishram

India

Year(s) attended: 2010

Weaving

Weavers of the Meghwar community in the Kutch District of India have long held a special role among other local ethnic groups.

Both the Hindu Rabans and the Muslim Khatns, who lived close by, would commission daily and ceremonial pieces from the weavers, often providing them with wool from their own sheep and executing finishing details on the fabrics.

Traditionally, wool and cotton yarns were starched with natural materials such as wild onions and wheat flour, but more recently commercialization and market forces have been obscuring the ancient techniques that were passed down by elders within families.

Siju Shamji Vishram, who learned the craft and took inspiration from his father, is striving to restore the integrity of the art by preserving use of the traditional tools and techniques.