Jagdish Chitara is a skilled folk artist, working in the
Mata-Ni-Pachedi style of ritual textile painting from Gujarat,
India. Belonging to a traditional group of artists from the
marginalised Waghari community, he has been practising this art for
over 40 years. Jagdish, who learnt this ancestral craft from his
father and grandfather, now lives in Ahmedabad, where he strings up
his textile art for sale on a pavement. He works in close
collaboration with his family of practising artists; the art has
been practised by at least four generations of artists in his
family, including his grandfather and his children. Jagdish has
inherited nearly 300 blocks from his ancestors. The art continues
to flourish through at least 50 artists, including many from his
father's generation. He has participated in various government-run
workshops and fairs within India. He has exhibited his works in
Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya in Bhopal and cities
such as Mysore and Raipur; his works have been bought by art lovers
in India and abroad. This is Jagdish's second collaboration with
Tara Books, after The Great Race. His next book with Tara is Brer
Rabbit Retold. The Kondra Brothers -- K. Gangadhar and K. Narasaiah
-- from Andhra Pradesh belong to a family of traditional wooden
block-making artists. They were initiated into this art by their
uncle when they were teenagers; after nearly 35 years now they,
along with their team, continue to make intricate blocks at their
workshop in Machilipatnam, Andhra. In 2002, the brothers jointly
received the National Award from the Ministry of Textiles for
craftsmanship in Wooden Block Making. They have exhibited their
works in India and in the UAE, Mexico and Australia.
K. Dakshina Murthy is a National Award-winning hand block-printing
artist hailing from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. An expert with
nearly 45 years of experience in this art, he has worked in various
places in South India, including the government's Weavers Service
Centres in Vijayawada and Chennai. In addition to exhibitions and
demonstrations within India, he has also showcased his works in
Thailand. The artist received the National Award from the Ministry
of Textiles for developing a new variety of saree using traditional
methods. He currently resides with his family in Chennai.
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