Dear Mr. Arjit Johri, You are an inspiration, a leader extraordinaire and a PATH-BREAKER! Here’s a small token of appreciation for your contribution and dedication to the nation by Young Indians, CII, Ahmedabad.

About Rogan Art

300 years ago, a beautiful art, unsung in that period, originated in Persia and descended into Nirona Village in Kutch, the only place which has lucratively kept the art alive. This art form is popularly known as Rogan. The art form began fading when it crossed borders. The Khatri family in Nirona, Gujarat, are the last custodians of this dying art form.

The art of Rogan is a name given to the meticulously manoeuvred strings of paint that connect the canvas and its brush but never let them touch. It is a dialogue between the artist’s two hands, where one leads the other. Each stroke of the malleable thread that adorns the fabric follows the path of the moving finger which lies underneath it.

Rogan Art is a two-dimensional art that is performed on a variety of clothes. Rogan painting is 100% a product of the artist’s imagination. There is no tracing, no design to refer to. The motifs used in Rogan Art are the traditional kutch motifs. This art form doesn’t use any figurines as a motif. The ‘Tree of Life’ is the most admired motif of Rogan Art.

This art form uses natural colour extracts mixed with castor oil to develop oil-based paints. The colour palette includes six colours, Red, Blue, White, Green, Orange and Yellow. The artists often create new colours by mixing two or three of them per their design requirements. Artists prefer to work on dark-coloured fabrics to accentuate the vibrant colour paints.

The Process of Rogan Art

“In the land of Gujarat,

Be proud of the air you breathe.

Stripped of vegetation with a spectacular desert,

Is the land of Kutch you seek!

Travel back to the vibrant past,

Of artisans and legends,

Who knows no religion nor any caste.

Catch a glimpse of them working

As their art narrates the rich history

Of the Persian art, which is now survived only by Khatri’s of Kutch”

 

 

About the Artist – Rizwan Khatri

Rizwan Khatri is the 7th generation of Rogan artists; he was born in Nirona, Gujarat, in a family of Rogan Artists. His father, Sidik Khatri, is a well-known master artist. Rizwan and his brothers learned the art of Rogan from their father and later reinvented it themselves. He has assisted designers in Lakme fashion shows in creating mesmerising designs using Rogan Art.

Rizwan has bagged numerous awards for this innovation, contribution and achievement in reviving and spreading the knowledge of this unique art. He is a proud holder of the State Winner Award (2016), Paris Fashion Week Participant (2019), Kamala Award for Young Artists(2021) and many more.

Rizwan has now also taken the initiative to teach this art to 15 women in his village – again, a testament to his progressive thinking as women were earlier barred from learning this art.

Image Credits: Palak Gajera/Behance”