Untangled Threads He Weaves

An embroiderer who grew up poor is a celebrity in demand with collectors and artists

- SOUMITRA DAS

The contradiction is stark. A dark, youngish man is deep in concentration while deftly embroidering a piece of cloth; an activity traditionally considered reserved for women. The man in question is a former Kolkata autorickshaw driver Bapi Das. There is nothing feminine about his powerful frame and massive arms. With four exhibitions to his credit in the past six years, the intricate elegance of his embroidered art pieces shines through. Untrained though he is, the 46-year-old uses the needle and fine varicoloured thread with the finesse of an artist wielding a brush and paint. His works are currently on show at Dtale Archist (II) in Bengaluru, till January 4, 2025. The gallery's artistic director and founder member and President of the KochiMuziris Biennale, Bose Krishnamachari, discovered Das during the 2018 Biennale. Das remembers he had received a call from Anita Dube, who had curated the fourth edition.

She had heard of him through the Kolkata art circuit. She asked him to send his work. By March 2018, he received confirmation of his participation. "Das's work is not like that of any other designer or artist for he tells his own story," says Krishnamachari.