Reviving Nature’s Palette: Ajit & Silpinwita Das
Master artists and father-daughter duo Ajit Kumar Das and Silpinwita Das, based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, paint with natural dyes. Their thoughts span their art and the sentiments of two generations of artists.
Left: Silpinwita Das. Right: Ajit Kumar Das
Brinda Gill: Please could you introduce readers to the tradition of natural dye painting in India?
Ajit Kumar Das: The traditional practice of natural dye painting in India is ancient and deeply rooted in its culture. Before synthetic dyes emerged about 200 years ago, natural dyes were the only source of colour. The Jain manuscripts, illustrations of Buddhist texts, miniature paintings, and murals in the caves of Ajanta, as well as Warli, Pattachitra, Madhubani, and temple paintings, are some of the finest examples of India's glorious natural dye painting tradition. Pichhwai, Mata ni Pachedi, and Kalamkari paintings hold a diverse cultural history and religious connection. The latter two are painted on fabrics using several mordants. During colonial times, mordant paintings - known as chintz - became part of India's most significant textile trade cloths worldwide.
Horoscope, 1998, Ajit Kumar Das
BG: How did you get drawn to painting with natural dyes?
AKD: In my childhood, I saw my father dyeing the robes for Vaishnavite devotees with Bixa orellana seeds that I collected from forests. That was my earliest experience with natural dye. I did not go to any art school. I joined Weavers Service Centre, Ahmedabad, around the 1980s when the Vishwakarma exhibition selection process was underway. I saw huge paintings with natural colours that took my breath away. I wondered when I would be able to paint such masterpieces! These two experiences played an important role in my journey of painting with natural dyes. Many people have helped shape who I am today. I will always be indebted to Martand Singh, Tansukh Mahicha, and Gautam Vaghela.
Silpinwita Das: I have seen my father working with natural dyes since childhood. I have always wanted to paint and joined Kala Bhavana in Shantiniketan to study fine arts. My father always inspired me to take up natural colour. I gradually started working alongside him and am still learning from him.
By Ajit Kumar Das
BG: Please can you share your painting process with us?
AKD: My work primarily features very fine lines and solid colours. I paint with the traditional kalam (bamboo stick), which provides the fluid continuity of fine lines, and a brush. Painting with natural colours is a multi-step process. The cloth is desized, scoured, steeped in a solution of myrobalan and buffalo milk, and then dried in the sun. Mordants of natural sources—such as fermented iron liquor for black and aluminum salt solution for red—are painted one by one. The cloth is then dried, washed, dried again, and dyed with madder. Only the areas painted with the mordant pick up the colour from the dye bath. Many shades can be obtained from the same colouring matter using different mordants. Catechu gives a brown colour. Pomegranate skin and turmeric provide bright yellow. We make indigo water-soluble with the help of reducing agents and alkali. The application of yellow on blue gives green.
By Silpinwita Das.
SD: I prefer working with a brush rather than a kalam. In my painting, form-defining lines are merely present. Different textures and strokes are the foundation of my work.
BG: What are the subjects of your paintings?
AKD: The Tree of Life is one of my favourite subjects. Traditional Kalamkari floral forms, motifs, and their earthy colour schemes have always fascinated me. Initially, they had a direct visual impact on my paintings. Then gradually, I developed my own language, keeping intact the traditional aspects of it. I painted a Tree of Life with lots of birds for the first time for a textile festival in Sweden in 1985. The painting earned me the National Award from the President of India in 1987.
Jeevan Taru, 2003, Ajit Kumar Das
The mountainous landscapes of Tripura, where I was born and partially brought up, have an intimate connection with my consciousness. I have seen old coins in the Tripura royal family, which played a role in my later works on coins and the horoscope series. The Pichhwai paintings of Rajasthan have always inspired me with their bold representation.
By Silpinwita Das
SD: Nature is the main subject and source of inspiration for my painting. This nature is not always what I see around me - it is what I wish to see in its true sense. Every season has its intrinsic temperament and fleeting drama, which I want to capture in my painting. The fading connection between nature and humankind concerns me, and my paintings deal with the mundane surroundings with an underlying socio-political dilemma.
BG: How important is experimentation for you as an artist?
AKD: Experimentation is an important part of the work. It may relate to different subject matters, colour schemes, techniques, and other aspects of the work. Around the 1990s, I started painting geometrical forms, lines, solid colours, and uneven brushstrokes with natural colours on saris and scarves.
Scarf by Ajit Kumar Das
As far as I know, nobody was working with that kind of painting with natural colours on dresses or accessories at that time - or even before that. Later, my daughter joined me, and we created the brand Haridra. We occasionally collaborate with designers. With Santanu Das of Maku, Kolkata, we created a collection of natural dye-painted garments that was part of the Walking Hand-in-Hand show in Ahmedabad in 2019.
By Silpinwita Das
SD: A solid foundation in tradition helps one to innovate and create an identity. When I started working with my father, I made the compositions more complex and incorporated several other motifs and forms. For my paintings, I like to create variations and versions of a certain concept. In 2016, I received the UNESCO-WCC Award of Excellence for Handicrafts for my innovative approach to textile art. I have showcased my products at prestigious global platforms, such as the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, USA (2019). My paintings are part of the esteemed collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Tapi Collection, Surat. Delhi Crafts Council presented my works at the India Art Fair in 2025.
By Silpinwita Das
BG: Do you share your thoughts and ideas on the art of natural dye painting with each other?
SD: We always share ideas, concepts, and compositions and seek opinions and thoughts, which is particularly helpful for me. I have learned everything about natural dyes from my father. Minute mistakes can severely damage the entire effort in handling natural dyes, so those factors need careful attention. What he achieves with utmost dedication and hard work is beyond what many can imagine. I am very conscious of not following or repeating his approach. I always try to create something different that is contemporary yet traditional.
BG: How do you see the future of your art?
AKD: Today, there is much discussion about sustainability and eco-dyeing. Passion and commitment are required for the practice to continue. We have done a few workshops in institutions and handloom societies across the country. In 2017, we conducted a workshop organized by SUTRA Textile and Studies. All these efforts help create awareness of the art and secure its future.
SD: If we collectively strive to improve the natural dyeing practice, only then can something positive happen. It is not a single person's job. Fortunately, the younger generation, students, and enthusiasts are coming to the forefront, which is a good sign for learning and sharing knowledge.
Interview by Brinda Gill
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Further Information:
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Image Credits:
Lead Image: Gabhi, 2011, Ajit Kumar Das
All images courtesy Ajit Kumar Das and Silpinwita Das