“HISTOIRES TISSÉES”
“Ce qui se trame. Histoires tissées entre l’Inde et la France”

(Textile Matters: Woven Stories between India and France)

Galerie des Gobelins

Paris, France

4th December to 4th January 26

Curated by Mayank Mansigh Kaul

This exhibition explored four centuries of profound artistic, historical, and textile dialogue between India and France. It brought together contemporary artists, master craftsmen, and haute couture.

Organised by the French Institute in India in partnership with the National Manufacturers — Sevres Mobiler National and French Institute in Paris. “Seven Yokings of Felicity” 2014-2015 comprising seven sculptures crafted out of a handwoven Kimkhab*woven in a Karkhana ( workshop) in Varanasi India with gold and cotton in karwa technique by weavers Mustak Ahamad Jagdish Prasad and Ramji Maurya. The gilded textile serves as a metaphor of the solar deities from the Rig Veda, the seven sons of the goddess Aditi. Each sculpture is constructed in proportional ratios so that the first is the 1/7 of the part of the last structure. The deeper metaphor references to the mutable minds of men desirous of being yoked to the Felicity, an eternal sunshine.

*Khimkhab in Persian means “golden dream” kin meaning gold or Hiranya ( referencing cloth of gold, as mentioned in the Vedas ( 1500BC) and khab meaning dream.