Fifty eight years ago Sarita Gujar who belonged to a conservative Marathi family was married and sent to Canada at a very young age. Gujar was born and nurtured in the Indian state of Maharashtra, which is known for its artistic traditions. As a young dutiful wife, she followed her husband and moved to Fredericton in 1966.
Away from her home, Sarita Gujar never feared the new ambience in a different country. She began her studies at the University of New Brunswick, where she earned a diploma in business administration.
She did not give any excuses to stop herself from growing into a successful person. Despite having children, she pursued on developing her skills. She found herself interested in shisha embroidery after raising her children. She joined a group of ladies in Fredericton who met regularly to produce needlework in 1993.
She studied Western embroidery techniques and shared her mirror work abilities.
“Traditional Indian embroidery is passed down from generation to generation,” she explained.
Gujar began specialising in shisha embroidery, which is also known as mirror work. This ancient method was previously the territory of impoverished artists who imitated the wealthy’s bejewelled clothing.
Gujar is an important member of Fredericton’s multicultural and Indo-Canadian community. She is one of the founders of the Fredericton temple, and she has also worked as a social worker for many organisations.
Her stitching has been displayed at Government House, and she has toured New Brunswick displaying her custom-embroidered textiles and artwork.
Shisha, or mirror work embroidery, first appeared in India in the 17th century. Attaching little bits of mirror to cloth to produce a reflecting, attractive pattern is the procedure.
Mirror work, a traditional South Asian needlework, is now popular throughout the world.
“By looking at the embroidered piece, the colour, the stitches, the designs, one can recognise its tradition, religion,” Gujar remarked.
In its early days, shisha was manufactured by adorning fabric with silver beetle wings and mica chips made from silicate minerals.
“They used to use mica, which was a multicoloured powder. “They later discovered that this technique is harmful to one’s health,” she explained. “And that’s how they got incorporated into the mirror.”
Gujar’s work is distinguished by her ability to combine traditional mirror work techniques with contemporary motifs.
Gujar organises workshop on this Indian heritage embroidery in Brunswick. During the workshop, she teaches about the deep culture and tradition of India. She helped walk the participants through the process, demonstrating how to create beautiful designs on fabrics using the Indian mirror embroidery technique.
That’s how we introduce our cultural activity through these cultural workshops. We are passing on our culture to our children, too.” Says a proud Sarita Gujar.
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