In Her Words: A Note from Anita Reddy
Dear Ibu Allies,
My name is Anita Reddy and I am the co-founder of DWARAKA, a revival movement for kalamkari arts in India. Twenty-five years ago, women in the region of Srikalahasthi, India, were in dire straits. The marginalized Dalit “untouchables” were in the clutches of money lenders, deep in debt and unable to find a way to raise resources to get out of the oppressive and exploitative conditions.
In the city of Bangalore, I met an aging and ailing kalamkari artist from Srikalahasthi trying to sell the hand-painted wares he carried on his shoulders. Despite being an excellent artist who created the most beautiful and exquisite stories on cloth, he had no way of getting his products to market. I asked him to take me to his village in Srikalahasthi, where I witnessed firsthand the misery of those shackled by the debt cycle.
DWARAKA—the Development of Weavers And Rural Artisans in Kalamakari Art—was born from that visit. We provide training for the women in the region, especially the younger women who are eager to learn and help their families with income opportunities. DWARAKA became a united collective, enabling the women with skills and empowering them with knowledge.
It was as if the missing piece had been found, the women expressed with joy. We will now transform the region of Srikalahasthi and bring people together. Our revival of the dying art form will reinvigorate this whole region. And that is what DWARAKA has helped achieve over the past two decades.
Most of the women quickly learned the artform—creating beautiful hand-painted fabrics using natural dyes—and became self-reliant. Women like Dhanalakshi, Rajeswari, Sunitha, Mary Rani and so many others developed into leaders guiding many more rural women into the international horizons. Originally, around 300 artisans were involved, however, as DWARAKA's efforts took root, hundreds of trained artisans multiplied into thousands, creating new opportunities.
We first met Susan, Marisa, and Jamie of Ibu Movement in 2018 at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. They were some of the most professional and yet compassionate women we had encountered in the international circuit. Their eye for textile art—understanding its myriad forms, colorways, and designs—created an immediate connection. Since then, the DWARAKA women artists have been motivated and look forward to executing Ibu orders consistently.
The discerning Ibu customer recognizes that change requires vision, and voices of substance deserve a space to be heard. It is you who have boosted the morale of the most oppressed rural women in Srikalahasthi by helping their economic regeneration. Across global borders, a growing movement of recognition and support will touch thousands more lives. We hope DWARAKA and Ibu continue as co-travellers on this journey, elevating many more deprived communities.
With Gratitude,
Anna Reddy
