Bengaluru to host Siddi quilting exhibition this weekend

As a part of  ‘Landscapes of Learning: A Visual Arts Learning Festival & Symposium’ organised by Artsparks Foundation, Anitha N Reddy, will host a quilting exhibition and workshop along with artists from the Siddi community. The two-day event, scheduled for April 18 and 19, will be held at Venkatappa Art Gallery, Kasturba Road. 

Anitha, an art historian, curator and community-based textile practitioner, has been working with Siddi women, a Karnataka community with African origins, for over two decades. Quilting is a part of their everyday lives. They use old clothes to stitch blankets and carpets mainly for household use.

In the beginning, the idea of showcasing their work was not easily accepted. For the women, quilting was just a household chore, not something display worthy. There was also hesitation in trusting an outsider, shaped by their experiences of racial discrimination. Anitha approached this slowly, going house to house, spending time with them and understanding their lives without imposing her academic frameworks. 

Over time, the process became more collaborative. She focused on giving the women complete freedom in their work rather than a structured approach. 

The session will examine quilting as an unwritten archive. It will explore how cloth can hold memory, identity and histories that are often left out of formal records. The workshop will also question who decides what is considered art – institutions, academics, or the market. 

Her work has been presented at several platforms, including exhibitions in Delhi, Kochi, Singapore, London and internationally. While this has increased visibility, Anitha maintains that the intention has never been driven by demand or market value, but by the need to acknowledge and sustain the practice. 

April 18-19. At Venkatappa Art Gallery, Kasturba Road. For details, visit art-sparks.org