An exhibition that tracks the journey of Indian textiles

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Shuttle of Time, a large abstract sculpture made with banana fibre—its title emerging from the weaver’s shuttle— urges viewers to probe questions about craft, design traditions and their origins.

Should a work of art be viewed in its final form or should it be seen from the lens of its origins? In the case of banana fibre, for instance, where is the starting point of the medium? Should the fibre, used for products ranging from apparel and home décor to construction material, be seen from a horticultural perspective, from the time a farmer nurtures the plant till it is used for various purposes? The sculpture is in two parts, one suspended from the ceiling and the other, standing on the floor. The visual narrative links the past and the future, says Shama Pawar, artist and founder of The Kishkinda Trust, which works with rural communities on multidisciplinary projects in Hampi, Karnataka.

“The shuttle’s passage reminds us that time, like the threads on a loom, is continuous and evolving, a process of constant renewal," says Pawar. The sculpture, along with 100-plus other pieces, including textiles, installations and home décor products, is on display at Gandhinagar’s Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gujarat as part of Sense and Sensibilities, a show by Registry of Sarees in collaboration with Raw Collaborative.

While The Registry of Sarees is a research centre for handwoven textiles, Raw Collaborative is a design platform that showcases the work of architecture studios. “We want to look at design in the context of historical and cultural narratives, how various artistic movements may have impacted Indian textiles," says Ally Matthan, founder of The Registry of