Bomb Blast, Hanging
| Type: | For Windows, Doors and Walls |
|---|---|
| Object Name: | Hanging |
| Local Name: | sujuni |
| Title: | Bomb Blast |
| Maker: | Archana Kumari |
| Place Made: | Asia: South Asia, India |
| Period: | Late 20th century |
| Date: | c 2000 |
| Dimensions: | L 216 cm x W 142 cm |
| Materials: | Cotton |
| Techniques: | Plain woven; embroidered; quilted |
| ID Number: | T04.24.29 |
| Credit: | From the Fitzgerald Collection |
Sujnis have always been original works of art expressing the maker’s unique experience. Many sujnis reflect local life, but some exceptional examples address broader issues: this one, entitled “Bomb Blast,” was inspired by India’s 1998 atomic bomb tests in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan. The artist, Archana Kumari, had recently met craftspeople from the test area at a fair in Delhi. She created this design as a form of protest and to express her concern for their safety, and the safety of ordinary Indians and Pakistanis. The artist drew the design and four to six women did the stitching. Its 220 stitches per square inch is twice the normal ratio and took four to six months to complete. There are two rows of “bombs” in the centre, labelled India and Pakistan respectively. Above them are her friends in the Thar Desert – local people whose lives have been disrupted by the tests. The top row shows Muslim and Hindu women greeting each other and crying and talking – an expression of her wish that the bombs never be used between India and Pakistan. Below the bombs on the right are skyscrapers with people in the window, representing America, Japan and Russia. In the centre, a speaker addresses the Indian parliament; two people on the left hold hands in friendship. The centre field is framed by a line of stretchers with people on them, representing potential civilian casualties of nuclear war. But they have their eyes open, indicating they are not dead, and are thus an expression of the optimism of the artist. ADITHI is a non-profit organization working in Bihar State. It is primarily engaged in income-generating projects for poor rural women designed to empower them to take control of their economic well-being.
