The Legacy Project

Seagrams Hundred Pipers

In July 2019, I was approached by Ogilvy and Mather to coordinate for packaging designs for Hundred Piper Whisky bottles and canisters.' The Legacy Project' is a venture of the Seagrams 100 Pipers to salvage and promote dying traditional art forms of India. The philosophy behind this project is " Be remembered for good".The project aims to promote various artists thus giving them an international platform they deserve. It was an interesting project as it involved working on promoting dying art forms of India. It allowed me to work with the artists and art forms that were barely known in our country. We were to collaborate with artists from north, south, east, west and centre of India. The challenge was the timeline. To have 12 designs of 12 different art forms in 3 weeks was a herculean task. We finally mutually decided to conduct a seven-day workshop in Bhopal and invite the artists to create their designs during the workshop. We invited about 10 artists from different regions of India. Artists from Bengal (kalighat, Patua), Orissa(patachitra), Andhra(Cheriyal)Himachal (Kangra), Rajasthan(Pichwai), Gujarat(Mata ni Pachedi), Madhya Pradesh(Bhil, Gond, Mandana).Six of the art forms were finalised for the packaging designs. The depictions of each artwork were the interpretation of the philosophy "Be Remembered for Good"by each artist.

The finalist whose designs were to be on the packaging was from Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra. The art forms that made it into the final round were, Gond, Bhil, Cheriyal, Kalighat, Patua and Mata ni Pachedi.

The Final Packaging Design

GOND - DURGABAI VYAM

The most striking feature of Durga Bai’s paintings is their ability to tell a story. Each painting has a story — the stories that Durga Bai heard as a child are now translated into images in brilliant flamboyant colours. Her forms are mostly drawn from the pantheon of the Gond Pradhan community. She uses the motif of paddy seeds to infill the forms in her paintings. She has illustrated two children's books published by Tara publications called. In 2008 she and two other Gond artists, Ram Singh Urveti and Bhajju Shyam were presented the Bologna Ragazzi Award in Italy for their illustrations in the children’s book, The Night Life of Trees, published by Tara Publishing. Durga Bai was also awarded the IGNCA Scholarship for 2006-2007. 

CHERIYAL- SAI KIRAN

Dhanloka Sai Kiran Verma is a State awardee and master craftsman for Cheriyal paintings and masks, He completed his graduation in Fine Arts at Venkateshwara College of Fine arts Madhapur. After which he decided to carry forward the family tradition of Cheriyal paintings. He has participated in many exhibitions in India and abroad and also conducted many workshops.

BHIL- SHANTA BARIYA

Shanta is the daughter of the well known Bhil artist Bhuribai. She learnt this art whilst helping her mother to fill in the dots. Shanta was married at an early age and lived in the village for many years. It was only after she moved to Bhopal she started pursuing this art.She has participated in many exhibitions. Recently, she was invited to France for a month-long event to showcase her art.

KALIGHAT- SANUYAR CHITRAKAR

Shanuyar Is a Kalighat painting artist, he learnt this art from his father. Before he and his siblings were born, his father made statues in Kolkatta during Durga Puja. He has 4 brothers and 2 sisters. It was a large family and they all lived in utter poverty. Since the demand for making the statues of goddess Durga was an annual event, his father started to make Patachitra for additional income. He would go village to village singing the stories along with the scroll patachitras. He was given rice, some money and puffed rice in return. Shanuyar and his siblings could not afford to go to school. Shanuyar started painting at the age of 7 with his father. He sat next to his father and made exact replicas of this fathers painting. This is how he got initiated into this art. His father often guided him to paint. Shanuyar wanted to make a difference, he wanted to create his style, so he mixed Kalighat and the Medinapur style of Patua and showed it to his father. His father was very pleased with the outcome and encouraged Shanuyar to pursue this newfound Kalighat Patachitra style. Shanuyar participated at Rajya Hastkala Mela in Kolkatta and was very happy with the response. He even sold a few paintings.

This Mela was a boost for his career in painting. He also participated in mela Shantiniketan. He is a recipient of West Bengal State Award for Kalighat painting.

MATA NI PACHEDI- JAGDISH CHITARA

Jagdish Chitara, the 48-year-old artist belongs to a traditional nomadic group of artisans known as Waghari. The Waghari people are poor and marginalised community. They would moved around the banks of the Sabarmati River in Gujarat, and made a ritual fabric for the Mother Goddess called Mata Ni Pachedi – the fabric of the mother– this fabric was washed in the river waters, Block printed and painted, then painstakingly dyed with natural pigments. The beautiful swathes of cloth were used not only as offerings but also draped to form a temporary shrine for the Goddess.

Although the Waghari’s way of life has changed today – many of them, like Jagdish, now live in towns and cities- they still create the traditional sacred cloth.The colours used are blood red (alizarin)black (ferrous black)and white.The ritual function of the Mata Ni Pachedi continues to exist. Jagdish, who learnt his ancestral craft from his father, strings up his textile art for sale on a pavement in the city of Ahmedabad, where he lives. He has participated in many exhibitions held all over India.

PATUA - SUSHMA CHITRAKAR

Sushma is the daughter of Shyamsundar Chitrakar. She is Patachitra Artist, she was five years old when she learn to paint Patachitra paintings from her parents.Patua are called the Patachitra scroll paintings of West Bengal. Colour making and singing songs was taught by her parents. She uses natural colour for the Patachitra paintings.

· Yellow colour from raw turmeric.

· Green colour from beans.

· Red colour from china rose

· Black colour from burned rice.

· Blue colour from the petunia.

She has travelled Kolkata, Delhi, Bombay, and also travelled Taiwan Norway, China, and South Korea to spread her art.