Life Gives the Story

I stumbled upon a beautiful story about a Bangladeshi needle artist named Surayia Rahman who has spent her life helping hundreds of women escape from poverty in Bengal through needle and thread.

Photos copyright Anil Advani and Kantha Productions LLC, used with permission

A story about one woman, using her hands and her self-taught artistry, who created a place where women, some of them living in mud huts, could come and be paid for their work and learn to be better embroiderers.

Photos copyright Anil Advani and Kantha Productions LLC, used with permission

They embroidered their stories on Nakshi Kantha, a traditional folk art quilt that is embroidered and passed down through generations. It was accidental. "I didn't plan to do it for women," she said. "They just started coming." And when they came, she gave them what they needed.

Photos copyright Anil Advani and Kantha Productions LLC, used with permission

Surayia Rahman became an icon in the kantha tradition and elevated the embroidered quilt to a whole new level of artistry through her personal oversight regarding the quality of the designs, the embroidery and the materials used to create these amazing stories.

Photos copyright Anil Advani and Kantha Productions LLC, used with permission

She started a skills development project and developed a market for her embroideries, having sold many of the works to travelers and visiting dignitaries, diplomats.

Photos copyright Anil Advani and Kantha Productions LLC, used with permission

When asked about her work she says, "You will find them in the world, but not in my house." I love that.

I first learned of her story through a wonderfully-woven story by Bianca DiBiase called The Accidental Saint on the HandEye blog. Go there and read this story when you have a few minutes -- it's worth your time.

Surayia is now in her late seventies and her health no longer allows her to embroider. There is an effort underway led by Cathy Stevulak and her husband Leonard Hill, friends of Surayia's, to locate and catologue Surayia's work and to produce a documentary of her life's story. You can read more about their efforts at their web site Kantha Threads. They need assistance in raising money and awareness so that this project will become a reality and Surayia's legacy will not be lost. They also have a mailing list for you to join if you are interesting in following and learning more of Surayia's story.

Photos copyright Anil Advani and Kantha Productions LLC, used with permission

All the photographs you see here today are by Anil Advani who I believe did a magical job of capturing images that told a story. As someone who struggles to capture my love for needle and thread with my images, I believe I have stumbled upon a master and I am grateful to her for allowing me to share her pictures with you.

Coincidentally for me, there is a current exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Kantha: The Embroidered Quilts of Bengal from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz and the Stella Kramrisch Collections through July 25, 2010. If you can't get there, there is an online gallery of the 43 kantha on their website for you to explore.

"Life gives the story." Surayia said to Bianca as she interviewed her.

Indeed it does.

Photos copyright Anil Advani and Kantha Productions LLC, used with permission

And our hands have the power to tell it and change the world.