Ahmedabad: Mata ni Pachedi, a GI-tagged legacy of Ahmedabad, has become the source of inspiration for a striking piece of textile art created by a traditional Chitara artist and a Turkiye-based artist. This 6ft by 5ft artwork will be showcased at the Xtant Art Festival to be held in Mallorca, Spain, next month. The vivid piece, which depicts Goddess Kali along with other motifs, has been created in Ahmedabad.Kirit Chitara, the primary artist, who worked on the piece with Istanbul’s Jennifer Ipekel, said the collaboration happened after their earlier visit to Turkiye with Mata ni Pachedi. “The Xtant Art Festival is a prestigious event. We wanted to showcase the strong culture and tradition of Mata ni Pachedi and kalamkari in the piece,” Chitara said. The duo took around two months to create the piece painted entirely with natural dyes, he said.Ipekel told TOI said she was attracted by the theme of goddess worship and the symbolisms in Mata ni Pachedi, a living heritage that has spanned generations. “It is one of the oldest practices in the world, and evidence can be found from various regions — the goddesses were seen as mothers who give birth to everything and are a source of life. In India, the divine feminine is worshipped even today with its diverse faces, and it became a source of inspiration for us,” she said.The artists feel that their piece will be of the creative source of life that will motivate viewers to connect with powers of the sacred and unity. The artists have also depicted a ‘dream tree’ along with the goddess.Chitara said that others such as Rohan Chitara and other next-generation artists have also contributed to the piece. “For us, it is an extension of the ethos of Mata ni Pachedi, and taking it to a more universal language. I see it as a new experience for us and an attempt to take the ancient art to new audiences where we can talk about its legacy and importance,” he said.
