Craft Cluster Initiative : Rogan Painting
The art of Rogan is a name given to the meticulously maneuvered strings of paint that connect the canvas and its brush, but never letting them touch. It is a dialogue between the artist’s two hands; where one leads the other. Each stroke of the malleable thread that adorns the fabric, follows the path of the moving finger which lies underneath it.
Rogan is a Persian term that translates to “oil-based”, an intrinsic trait that gives the craft its name. It has travelled time and distance from Persia (present day Iran) to the Indian subcontinent to the family of the Khatris, its only driving force today. In its due course, the art may have witnessed some drifts and lost some practisers, but its heavy Persian influence still translates through the exemplary motifs and patterns on a wide spectrum of colour.
Book cover designed for the research document.
It shows all the steps in the process of creating a motif (back to front) in Rogan art.
It shows all the steps in the process of creating a motif (back to front) in Rogan art.
Presently, the sole family of the Khatris confines the art to Nirona, a village about 100 kms from Kutch.
They have single-handedly managed to keep the art alive.
Even though the history and origin of Rogan art in Persia is unbeknownst to them, it can be traced back to eight generations in their lineage. The Khatris, spread over numerous generations, continue to revive Rogan with every descendant through a flavour of their own, keeping its integrity alive.
They have single-handedly managed to keep the art alive.
Even though the history and origin of Rogan art in Persia is unbeknownst to them, it can be traced back to eight generations in their lineage. The Khatris, spread over numerous generations, continue to revive Rogan with every descendant through a flavour of their own, keeping its integrity alive.
One of the spreads in our document was mountain folded (Like the one above) so that the readers remain engaged in it visually and large information could be transferred in small chunks.
We made a short documentary on Abdul Gafur Khatri, the preserver of Rogan art who resides in the small town of Nirona, Gujarat, India in which we focused on the past of Rogan, the preservers and the tedious process which makes this craft a visual treat.
Shots of the set we designed to propagate Rogan art at the college headquarters.
We created a vibrant map of the village of Nirona for the visitors to get a thorough idea about the place and how they can reach Abdul Gafoor Bhai's house
Content Research and Development
Aastha Rana
Aishwarya Arora
Garima Gupta
Content Editing
Aastha Rana
Garima Gupta
Book Layout
Aastha Rana
Graphics, Illustrations, Art Direction
Aastha Rana
Sumit Bhanj
Photography & Videography
Akanksha Jain
Iti Ranga
Priyanka Murmu
Nishant Tripathi
Sumit Bhanj
Video Editing
Garima Gupta
Iti Ranga
Script & Narration
Aishwarya Arora
Nishant Tripathi
Set Design
Aastha Rana
Aishwarya Arora
Akanksha Jain
Priyanka Murmu
Sumit Bhanj
Merchandising
Aastha Rana
Akanksha Jain
Anushka Singh
Priyanka Murmu
