Anne Williams chats to art practitioner Anitha N. Reddy to find out more about her project with Indian Siddi women in Karnataka
textile travels
Anyone with an interest in global textiles will know that India is blessed with a fantastically rich heritage. From fabulous dyed, woven and printed cloth to examples embellished with beautiful embroidery, stunning artefacts have been produced for royal courts and sacred spaces. But more humble, utilitarian pieces, such as quilts, also abound. As might be expected from such a large and varied country, regional textile styles have developed. Many quilters will be familiar with kantha quilts from north-east India (and Bangladesh) and ralli quilts made in north-west India (and Pakistan), but perhaps less so with the striking free-form quilts made by the Siddi people in the country’s south-western state of Karnataka.
Siddi are an ethnic tribe of African descent confined mostly to the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Their ancestors were largely brought to India as slaves, though some came as free people – such as sailors or merchants. Even after centuries in India, Siddi people retain some of the physical features of their forebears, marking them out as different. Regularly faced with prejudice, the Siddi community tends to live in secluded settlements on the fringes of mainstream society. Consequently, many other Indians know little about them and their traditions.
However, Anitha N. Reddy, a Bangalore-based art historian and practitioner, curator and researcher, is on a mission to raise awareness of Karnataka’s Siddi people and gain acknowledgement for their wonderful quilts, which are part of India’s textile story.
BECOMING ACQUAINTED
Anitha’s introduction to Siddi people was in the early 2000s when one of her friends was getting married to Girija, a Siddi woman from Karnataka. The wedding was taking place in the bride’s home village and Anitha was invited to share in the celebrations. “Karnataka’s Siddi area is around 300 miles north-west of Bangalore in the Western Ghats and once there, the village was a long walk into the forest,” she recalls. “This was the first time I had seen lots of Siddi or been to one of their communities. I was struck by the fact that although the people look distinctive, they have assimilated local culture, so their dress, language, food and so on is Indian.”
In the following years, Anitha visited Girija’s parents during the summer – forming a close relationship with the family over
