Karun Thakar Fund 2024 – 25 project grants awarded

The Karun Thakar Fund Selection Committee is pleased to announce the 2024 – 25 Project Grants have been awarded.

The Fund received a record number of extraordinary applications this year, and the selection process was extremely challenging. The Committee is thrilled to be able to support 10 projects from various locations across the world, and we share summaries of each of the funded projects – in the words of their lead awardees – below.

Comparing the artistic applications of plant-based dyes in fine Iranian and Indian Kalamkari (Isfahan, Iran)

My husband, Reza Zetabchi, an architect and researcher, and I, Zahra Gharakhani, a painter and researcher, began our research on Isfahan’s kalamkar (hand-drawn and/or printed) textiles in 2016. Given the historical and cultural ties between Iran and India, a significant portion of our work has always been dedicated to India. Our primary focus has been to compile a comprehensive archive of Isfahan’s kalamkar motifs and to document the traditional plant-based dyeing techniques. Unfortunately, as plant-based dyeing has become obsolete in Isfahan, the original home of kalamkar in Iran, much of this information is no longer readily accessible.

To complete our research, we felt it necessary to travel to South India, a region that played a crucial role in fulfilling Iran’s qalamkar orders during the Safavid era. Our aim is to preserve the skills associated with this beautiful art form to the greatest extent possible, and we believe that women, as a creative and efficient resource, have a vital role to play in this endeavour. Until now, kalamkar production in Isfahan has been a predominantly male occupation, but we believe it is time for talented and passionate women to join this field. Additionally, we are focusing on kalamkar as an environmentally friendly practice that aligns with local climatic conditions, given the current environmental concerns.

We are delighted to have secured the support and trust of the Karun Thakar Fund, which has provided funding for this research trip. This grant will enable us to travel to India and find answers to many of our questions, which will be instrumental in shaping our future endeavours.

IGC Fashion: Exploration of Lubugo through podcast, garments and Kwetu Kwanza event (Kampala, Uganda)

IGC is grateful for the opportunity from the Karun Thakar Fund to deepen our research and education on Lubugo (barkcloth), an indigenous Ugandan textile with profound cultural significance.

Despite its rich history, Lubugo is frequently misunderstood or misrepresented. This project aims to address these misconceptions by creating a podcast series featuring experts from various fields to explore the unwritten history of Lubugo, while also showcasing contemporary applications of the textile through the creation of a Lubugo garment.

Additionally, we will present the relevance of Lubugo in sustainable fashion at our Kwetu Kwanza event, bringing together creatives and thought leaders to celebrate this traditional material. These three key elements — the podcast, garment creation, and event – position the project as both a celebration of Uganda’s cultural heritage and a platform to contribute to global sustainability efforts by promoting the use of traditional, environmentally friendly textiles.

We are excited to further the conversation around Lubugo and its role in contemporary fashion through these creative and educational initiatives.

Cameroon Grassfields Ndop display cloth (Foumban, Cameroon)

Ndop is an indigo resist-dyed patterned cotton cloth of great historical significance in the Cameroon Grassfields. Rulers in the region have used ndop cloth as form of sovereign identity and as a ceremonial backdrop to set a royal stage for over a century. Historically, each stage of production of ndop took place in a different location throughout Nigeria and Cameroon, and was transferred across distances of over 2400 kilometers to reach specialised weavers, dyers, and expert artisans in that process.

In collaboration with artists and cultural experts in the Grassfields, this project seeks to build knowledge and update the only detailed study published (Au Cameroun: weaving-tissage, by Venice and Alastair Lamb, published 1981) on the complex topic of exchange and production of ndop cloth, with an added focus on cultural and social meanings and symbolisms still held today.

Kisalo: the Kerang barkcloth of Gadaba Adivasi (Koraput District, India)

This research project aims to study kisalo, the barkcloth of Gadaba Adivasi women from the highlands of the Koraput district of Odisha. Kisalo, a forgotten word in Gutob language, is an endangered sacred textile made of kerang, or bark fiber.

Kisalo is made by Gadaba women on small pit looms, and patterned with blue, white and red stripes to imitate tiger fur. The coarse, rib-weave barkcloth is used by women as a protective and sacred cloth, worn in two pieces to cover the torso (tied with a knot on shoulder) and the bottom (secured with a waist belt). My research asks the question ‘Where are the Gadaba women weavers who wove the cloth, and where is the forest where tiger-like cloth was needed?’. Encompassing indigenous processes and folktales, I aim to illuminate the narratives of indigenous tradition related to this endangered material culture and document the local knowledge systems of those communities who still retain it as part of their cultural identity.

Rebecca’s Dolls: Indian textiles and French-Creole fashion in 18th century British Grenada (Saint George, Grenada)

Three dolls created in the 1790s by an enslaved woman named Rebecca Ahmuty Snagg offer the first physical evidence of 18th-century Grenadian dress, and provide insight into the global textile trade between India, Great Britain and Grenada.

Rebecca’s dolls, preserved by her former owner’s family in England and now housed at Bristol Archives, represent the creative and artisanal skills of a formerly enslaved individual, and are the first such artefacts to be attributed to Grenada.

Assessments carried out between 1994 and 2022 indicate European materials and textiles probably from Gujarat or the Southeast Indian coast were used. The dolls’ Madras headwraps are rare survivals of 18th-century South Indian textiles in the Anglo-Caribbean.

The Karun Thakar Fund Project Grant allows me to explore Rebecca’s story and her dolls from a Grenadian perspective, covering the timeframe of her enslavement to death one year after Emancipation. As part of this work  I am examining the materials she used through textile import records in period newspapers, highlighting style characteristics in period paintings of the Grenada landscape, and discussing the consequent appropriation of Indian fabrics as symbols of heritage by the African-descended population.

Overall findings will support future research papers, as well as art history, and art and design courses I teach at a public tertiary-level institution. My project’s outputs are a public exhibition, reproduction of Rebecca’s dolls and an illustrated storybook for young learners.

Weave The Old Way (Ilorin, Nigeria)

Weave The Old Way is an innovative and culturally significant project aimed at revitalising the nearly extinct art of Olona (pattern weaving) within the Ibagun community of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.

The Ibagun community, which is known for its rich tradition of weaving asooke, is facing the challenge of preserving the nearly extinct skill of pattern weaving. By empowering 40 young weavers in the community through the comprehensive training, the ‘Weave The Old Way’ project aims to ensure revitalisation of the ancient pattern. These young weavers, who are currently limited by their lack of exposure to the English terminology in the weaving industry and advanced weaving techniques, will be empowered with the adequate knowledge and skills to excel in pattern weaving and connect confidently with their international colleagues.

This project will have a positive impact on the community by preserving a special part of our cultural heritage. Teaching the young weavers pattern weaving will enable them to create special designs, drawings and writings, which can significantly increase the artistic and commercial value of our works. The inclusion of English training will further equip them to promote our designs on an international level and engage with the international weavers appropriately. This single act will open up new markets and opportunities.

Moreover, this project will ensure a sense of pride and identity among the youth, steering them away from detrimental activities, like drug abuse and hooliganism. By providing them with a viable and respected skill set, I believe that we are not only preserving the weaving culture but also offering them a sustainable livelihood. This will ultimately contribute to the economic development and social stability of the Ibagun community, ensuring that the tradition of weaving asooke continues to thrive for the generations to come.

Indian roots of Cambodian patterns: Establishing a pattern bank (Prek Bong Kong, Cambodia)

I will create a ‘pattern bank’ of Cambodian chorabab brocade for conservation, study and exhibition at the Fukuoka Art Museum, including the 12^th-century Angkorian patterns. Included will be instructions for how to set a pattern in a loom by looking at a sample, so that any artisan in the world who would like to continue this weaving tradition can do so. I will also continue my research on the origins of the patterns, in India. Chorabab is about to die out in Cambodia, and can’t be saved there because of climate change. I hope to make my project a model for others trying to save dying textile traditions.

Establishing the Karun Thakar Collection at De Montfort University (Leicester, UK)

We are very proud that thanks to this funding we will be able to establish the Karun Thakar Collection and Archive, as one of our Special Collections at De Montfort University (DMU). This will be available to our students, academics and any interested members of the community, as part of making Karun’s collection available to inspire many eyes and many hands.

The grant funding will mainly support employing a collections specialist to receive and catalogue items that Karun has generously agreed to donate from his collection to help establish the archive. They would also play a really important role in encouraging student and community engagement. DMU has a leading School of Fashion and Textiles, with thousands of students studying with us all aspects of the profession. We are constantly looking for inspiration for them! As well as an integral part of student’s learning at DMU, we would also intend the collection to be included in a Heritage Centre exhibition display in Spring 2025: further making it available to the wider public in Leicester and the Midlands. We will also have an opportunity for our academic team to learn more from Karun and the V&A team: both about the specific donated items and more about the general trends in design they represent.

One key aspect we are excited for – and enormously grateful Karun is happy for our students to do – is that the collection will be a ‘touch’ collection: with students encouraged to handle and utilise all their senses to truly understand the clothes and textiles. This is also an opportunity we will open to external researchers and members of the community: so would encourage anyone reading this to please come and visit!

Give Me Space (London, UK)

Give Me Space (GMS) was founded by art therapist Cressida Brotherstone and photographer Harley Weir. GMS is made up of a collective of artists dedicated to empowering marginalised young people (16–25) through inclusive and accessible therapeutic arts experiences. Its mission is to foster confidence, wellbeing, and creative expression by providing a safe environment where young people and artists can collaborate. Through workshops and exhibitions, GMS aims to build a community that values underrepresented art and artists. GMS is committed to offering opportunities for artistic growth, inclusive of all abilities, and ensuring that every participant feels valued and heard.

This project will be a continuation of the Give Me Space project on Asafo flags, where participants engage in hands-on flag-making, guided by London-born Ghanaian artist Yaw Antwi, exploring the cultural and personal significance of this art form. Weekly sessions will see each participant craft a unique flag with assistance from a textiles expert, culminating in a local community exhibition and flag parade. The journey will be documented through photography, film, and a zine/art book, highlighting the creative process and its impact.

Interpreting the story of a Kalamkari through close ‘reading’ and digital annotation (Fairfax, USA and Vancouver, Canada)

This interdisciplinary digital humanities project integrates digital humanities and material culture analysis to interpret an eighteenth-century Kalamkari ceremonial hanging from the Karun Thakar Collection. Focusing on design elements such as textiles, weapons, and instruments represented on the textile, the research uncovers localised mythology and sociocultural narratives. Results will be showcased as an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap, combining high-resolution images and annotations to democratise access and enrich understanding of South Asian indigenous textile knowledge. The project, led by Dr Deepthi Murali and Aditi Khare, will produce an open-access digital project and a peer-reviewed article, serving as a model for public engagement and future research in art history and material culture of South Asia.