Phulkari – Understanding the Art
India is a land of various textiles and crafts, and this beautiful traditional art form – Phulkari, is one of them. The land of Punjab has a lot to offer other than Makki Ki Roti and Sarson ka Saag, one of those many other offerings is this very beautiful craft.
Phulkari – an age old technique of embellishing cloth with fine needle work, gets its name from two words, Phul meaning Flower and Kari meaning work. Phulkari literally means “Flower Work”. It was traditionally done by mothers for the trousseau for their daughters. It is almost exclusively geometrical patterns worked out with floss silk on the wrong side of the cloth. The designs are inspired from everything around us, be it the scenic beauty of the homeland or the natural surroundings we live in.
Earlier, Phulkari was restricted only to shawls, dupattas, sarees, etc. but now, it is widely used in home décor items as well. In current times, Phulkari art is practised by women in rural areas of Punjab and Haryana, where artisans experiment every day to give this traditional form of art a new face. Owing to the burgeoning demand of this fabric across the globe, the Phulkari today is a lot different than what it started as. Today, Phulkari embroidery is done on a variety of textiles such as chiffon, georgette, cotton, silk etc to make an assortment of products.
What makes Asees special
Asees literally means ‘blessings’ in Punjabi language. Though it is our dream and a sincere wish to be able to work with all the beautiful textiles, but we believe it’s best to work with one craft and bring its truest form for the world to see. We are a brand based in Punjab, which allows us to explore the craft in best of its form.
Finding new opportunities to suit the taste of the contemporary market without compromising traditional aesthetics, while leaving space for individual creativity and cultural meaning, was the real test for us. Asees works with 15 – 20 women artisans in surrounding areas of Amritsar and Patiala and Abohar.
We make sure that all our products speak of quality, richness, and heritage that is associated with Phulkari itself. Since its inception in 2012, Asees continues to be a trustworthy source and promoter of the true Phulkari craft through its exclusive range of Home furnishing products and different accessories for women. With the changing lifestyle, we have also introduced a new range of Phulkari products for office goers.
