Blending art with sustainability

Nestling in the labyrinthine alleyways of the white desert of Kutch, Gujarat, lies Nirona, a charming hamlet of 300 people peppered with sunbaked dwellings and signboards announcing ‘Rogan Art’.

Famous for the 400-year-old art of traditional fabric painting, the village shot to global acclaim when PM Narendra Modi gifted a Rogan painting to the erstwhile US President Barack Obama. Regarded as an important symbol of Kutch’s cultural heritage and sustainability, the technique uses natural ingredients like castor oil and vegetable-based dyes to make floral motifs, animals, and folk art motifs on fabric.

Nirona’s multigenerational families have been preserving the ancient technique for generations. Khatri Abdul Gafur, 60, the oldest Rogan artist in the village, is one such proud proponent. Recipient of the Padma Shri award, eight state-level awards, five national awards, and an international honour, his family has kept rogan alive for eight generations! 

“The word ‘Rogan’ comes from Persian, meaning ‘varnish’ or ‘oil’. It reflects rich Kutchi traditions, showcasing the connection between nature and culture and also the region’s environment and stories of our people,” elaborates Gafur. The artist’s family relocated to India from Iran almost 400 years ago. Over time, they have made rogan a distinctive speciality of Nirona. Earlier, an exclusive preserve of the male artisans, the Khatris have been instrumental in making Rogan inclusive by involving women and children to practise it. “My own son, who is 15, practises the art, so do my daughter and wife. I also teach Rogan art to local women,” adds the maestro, thrilled that Rogan art was finally awarded a Geographical Indication tag in March this year.

Creating a Rogan painting requires skill, patience, and precision. It begins with preparing the paint, a blend of castor oil and vegetable dyes. Oil is extracted from castor seeds by boiling them intermittently for 12-14 hours, a process which goes on for two days. The heated castor oil is then mixed with cold water, which thickens it, converting it into the gelatinous rogan. Interestingly, unlike painting, which uses brushes, rogan artists work with a stylus (metal block) to apply the paint, dipping it into paste and then transferring thin, thread-like strands of paint onto the fabric. The art finds its application on garments, handbags, footwear, curtains, and bedsheets.  

Gafur gives a demonstration by dabbing a bit of paint on his left palm and mixing it with his right index finger. Picking up a six-inch metal stick, he dips it into the castor oil paint and skilfully draws beautiful floral designs on a pink cloth. Given how challenging the art form is, only a few families in Nirona practice it now. Low income further makes it difficult to pursue it as a sustainable livelihood. “After witnessing the financial struggles of my father and grandfather, I decided not to follow the profession. I went to Mumbai to work,” he says. “But as luck would have it, my grandfather asked me to return to Nirona in 1984 to pursue the art and carry on our legacy,” recalls the artist.

After returning to Nirona, Gafur resolved to keep the art alive despite struggling with poverty. The 1980s nearly rang the death knell of Rogan art as machine-made textiles, which were cheaper, flooded the market. The tough pandemic years again tested Gafur’s resolve. “However, we pivoted to online platforms to showcase our work to the world. We’ve also been constantly working on innovating and improving our designs to stay relevant,” he adds. While the government has stepped in sporadically to help Rogan artists, what has really provided a boost to the art form is the annual Rann Utsav, a four-month-long cultural festival (November to February) that focuses on Kutchi art and culture, where tourist footfall is high.