As per a recent World Economic Forum report, the global fashion industry produced waste worth $400 billion, as of 2019. Chile’s Atacama Desert was recently in the headlines for the huge piles of clothing discarded in the desert, which according to an Agence France-Presse report measured upto 39,000 tonnes of clothing each year.
As bigger institutions and fashion brands continue to try and combat this huge problem, an Indian artist has been using a more creative approach to manage clothing and fashion waste. Boshudhara Mukherjee uses found, discarded, and bought textile to create artworks and installations. The artist, who recently also showcased at Bikaner House’s textile art showcase called 'Rehang'. In April this year, she also showcased her series of works 'The Familiars' at TARQ in Mumbai. Her body of work includes large-scale, tapestry-like installations made of different fabrics, denim, canvas, thread as well as paper. Drawing inspiration from around her, the installations are made using techniques of precise cutting, layering and drip using enamel paint.
Image Source: Instagram/tarqmumbai
While the throwing or discarding of clothes is a less common phenomenon in India, where repairing and upcycling are often used to repurpose old clothing, a lot of us have the tendency to not throw away clothes easily. “The source for found clothes is generally cupboards belonging to my family and friends, who have been instructed to ‘not throw anything’—from clothing to linens to tiny scraps of thread and wool. I use what I find around me” said Mukherjee in an interview with Live Mint.
Mukherjee has showcased at various international exhibits as well including a solo show at the Gallery Sarah in Muscat, Oman and as a part of other group shows include ‘Emerging Canvas 5’, Abu Dhabi Art Fair 2013 and Women’s Art Symposium, Muscat, Oman (2013).