Authenticity & Collaboration (Project with Bagru Bhabhis - women printers)

 

WHO

Women printers (from Chhipa community) were always essential to the printing processes in Rajasthan. Traditionally the workshops were home based. Security and comfort of home environment allowed for flexibility and balance between work, life and care for the family. We opt for working in these traditional settings, supporting the people and work structure that have been around for centuries.

 

HOW

We believe in authenticity. Today, the origin of products around us (food, clothing, flowers…) is often lost. We buy flowers and fresh produces out of season and out of original regions. We go for fashionable, not authentic. Working with traditional craft, we are returning to the basics. IM.PRINTED respects time, place, people and tradition.

 

Designing starts at workshops in the heart of village of Bagru. We gathered a group of 10 women from chhipa community to record and chronicle local plants and vegetation with help of sun prints (cyanotypes). These prints become testament to their surrounding and inspiration for future patterns. The prints are outlined and combined. The women, who have no formal design training, experiment, learn & draw. They are CREATING. We are the curators. The final designs and patterns are created solely by these women, who are further encouraged to draw and experiment. The goal is to involve them in the process of designing, not only printing. Besides regular income from printing, they receive fair share in royalties for every inch of printed fabrics using their designs. We believe that this unique approach brings authenticity back to the printing process.