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Tie-dye continues to be a family craft for us
with family members participating in different
stages of the technique. My wife, two sons
and their wives are involved with the craft. My
sons Shehenshah Alam and Shahnawaz Alam
are also immersed in the craft. Shehenshah
has an innate understanding of colour and
composition, which helps him to create artistic
designs, which he goes on to create on fabric
by his expert tie-dyeing skills. Shahnawaz
has done a postgraduate programme at the
Indian Institute of Crafts & Design, Jaipur.
Knowledge of the traditional craft coupled
with a professional degree has helped him
understand the requirements of the urban
market, designers, various markets and fashion
trends along with international buyers. He
knows the importance of improving and
diversifying the product range; of improving
the dyes we work with; of working on different
colour-combinations, motifs and patterns;
of improving the technique; streamlining the
processes; reducing wastage; and working on
pricing. He is computer savvy and this makes
all the difference in today’s world to make
our craft reach people across the world. My
four grandchildren are also interested in the
craft. I worked for twenty-five years with the
Development Commissioner (Handicraft),
Ministry of Textiles, in various capacities that
gave me a good understanding of different
handicrafts and textiles.
Awards and Appreciation
Over the years, I have created many beautiful
tie-dye textiles. I have received several awards
for my tie-dye work. I received the National
Award in 2004-2005 for the Mothara saree in
32 colours and the Shilp Guru Award in 2015.
I have participated in exhibitions and seminars,
held demonstrations and workshops of the
technique and given talks about the technique
in India and abroad. Participating in exhibitions
and workshops of Paramparik Karigar has
brought much recognition and awareness of
the technique. I have taught around 15,000
students from India and abroad at various
institutes; I have been a guest lecturer at NID
and NIFT.
