Ajit Kumar Das (b. 1957) is an Indian textile artist whose mastery gracefully creates natural dye painting. He was born to washermen, where he learnt the diverse ways to treat the fabric. He worked as a block painter in the Weaver’s Service Centre, Kolkata where he was discovered by Martand Singh. Along his journey, he was mentored by his contemporary Riten Mazumdar, C Chandramouli, KG Subramanyan, and Martand Singh (who displayed his textile ingenuity in London in the 1980s.)
He was the 1987 recipient of the Government of India’s National Award. Akin to him, Ajit Kumar Das’s artistic talent remains a staple in London (Victoria and Albert Museum), Delhi (The Crafts Museum), and Canada (Royal Ontario Museum.)
The Pre-Production!
While painting is undoubtedly a laborious process, Ajit Kumar Das’s artist manoeuvres demand perfection. He sharpens the bamboo and then layers jute fibres along its length. He makes his colours from a baffling concoction of metal dust, flowers, leaves, flour, nuts, and jaggery, left to putrefy for at least a month in an earthen clay pot.
Courtesy – The Museum of Fine Arts
To prepare the cloth, Ajit Kumar Das soaks the cloth overnight with cow dung, ashes, and lime. It is followed by a mixture of myrobalan. The cloth is beaten to take out any lingering solution and soaked in milk for at least two hours. This imparts a faded ochre shade to the canvas.
Ajit Kumar Das Artistic Sensibilities
Das is a wizard of the kalam. Ajit Kumar Das’ artistic prowess is magnificently showcased via a bamboo reed on fabric, alternatively known as a ‘kalam.’ Hailing from Manipur, the divine knowledge of indigenous natural dye and their application technicalities imbue upon the subject’s abstract cultural paraphernalia.
While there is no doubt that Das excels in the ‘kalamkari’ craft, he has indeed tried to modernize the tradition. The traditional ‘kalamkari’ artisans drew the figures of gods, goddesses, and mythical tales. Ajit Kumar Das took a completely different route, instead engaging with the subjects of nature and the moment which titillates him.
The Art of Hand Painted Textiles
His collection, ‘The Art of Hand Painted Textiles’ was displayed in the early 2020s at the Gallery Art Motif. Art critics have heralded the series as the best in his decade-long career. Ajit Kumar Das’s artist subject not only includes flora and fauna but also bold abstract forms – a mix between calligraphy and patterns. He painted the pictures in natural dyes using a ‘kalam’ on a cotton surface.
Courtesy – Gallery Art Motif
Prosthor
While drawing ‘Prosthor’, Ajit Kumar Das was hooked onto the use of lines to create solid impenetrable boundaries. The sense of boundaries permeates into the choice of subjects as well. In the picture, two ginormous rocks, seemingly balanced by a third small rock. The primary theme indicates a euphoric equilibrium.
Courtesy – Gallery Art Motif
Photo Courtesy – Courtesy – Natural Dyes in Art via WordPress
