Anshu Singh

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River of Sweat, 2023

River of Sweat is a vibrant 4 ft x 16 ft long tapestry stitched together from recycled sarees that would have ended up in the landfill. It is an ode to the social dimensions of ecologies, communities, and societies, shedding light on the harsh realities faced by craftspersons in an era of consumerism with an insatiable appetite for fast fashion, the world’s second-largest polluting industry. Like an open wound of blood gushing out of the walls of Shalimar Garden’s Royal Hammam, Singh’s artwork represents a “river of blood, sweat, and tears,””, yet reminds us of the agency of collective action as the saree fragments congeal into a resilient whole.

 

Mai Kashi ka Julaha, 2024 

Mai Kashi Ka Julaha is a portrait of Kabir woven and knitted by women weavers using waste materials, such as discarded threads and fabric scraps, sourced from Varanasi’s clothing industry. Known anciently as Kashi, the holy city of light, Varanasi presents a stark contrast for the site of the creation of this venerational portrait: Varanasi is the homehomecity of the important mystic and Sufi poet Sant Kabir, whose key teachings include the abolition of religious difference and the rejection of caste systems; in reality, the city’s weaver inhabitants struggle and labor tirelessly in dire subhuman conditions without adequate support, recognition or compensation for their craft. Singh’s work aims to subvert the traditional non-acceptance of women in weaving and reclaimreclaims the identity of Varanasi’s Julaha (weaver) in the contemporary context by charting a practice towards salvage, recovery, and sustainability. 

Anshu Singh (b. 1989) is an Indian artist-weaver from a rare matriarchal weaving family in Varanasi, where typically women are not allowed to work directly on looms. Singh is known for contemporary weaving and textile designs that merge artistic expression with traditional artisan techniques, incorporating unconventional materials and cloth waste into creations, and emphasizing artisans’ authorship. Previously featured in the sā Ladakh exhibition, LB03 will be Singh’s first time exhibiting in Pakistan.