Dear Noorjehan Bilgrami,

I am writing to express my profound admiration for your lifelong commitment to the preservation and revival of crafts, with block printing using natural dyes being one notable example. In a contemporary landscape often dominated by the "cult of the new", your work serves as a critical intervention - a masterclass in what we might term the "Aesthetics of Continuity".

The history of block printing in South Asia is an intricate tapestry of ethnobotany and chemistry. Unlike synthetic dyes that coat the surface of a fiber, natural dyes like Indigo and Madder require a chemical "marriage" with the fabric. This is where mordanting comes in. A mordant "bites" into the fiber and the dye simultaneously, creating a permanent bond. Without this chemical mastery, the "fugitive" colours would simply wash away. The "recipes" for fermentation vats or the exact timing for sun-bleaching are rarely written down; they are passed through observation and touch.

The smell of the indigo fermentation and the colour variations........

© The Express Tribune