home

the film

gallery

team

support

blog

links

contact

t h r e a d s
recent blog posts

the art and life of surayia rahman

Creativity and the Clinton Global Initiative PayPal is W orking Again Eid Greetings The Next Stage Begins

s u a r y a ih r m a n
They came to her, over roads and over rivers, for inspiration, for guidance, for work. She is Surayia Rahman, a self-trained, passionate artist who guided hundreds of underprivileged women in Bangladesh to create masterworks exquisitely embroidered tapestries that have been gifted to dignitaries and are admired in collections throughout the world. More about Surayias life

see the film trailer! follow our blog

Subscribe to blog updates by em ail or via your favorite RSS reader High definition follow this link. For slower internet connections try this link. Did you enjoy this trailer? Please Like it on Vim eo and Facebook.

surayias art documentary film synopsis

"Respected artist Surayia Rahm an kindly produced a watercolour painting for the cover of m y first book of hym ns and songs. This beautiful piece of artwork lifts m e to another world." Bartholomew Shaha, PhD, Former Secretary General, W orld Alliance of YMCAs A documentary film in the making Inspired by the traditional quilting and embroidery culture of Bangladesh And by the determination and talent of a community of women Fromher youth in cosm opolitan Calcutta during the colonial days of the British Raj when her father and caretaker would take her to the countryside, the boat races and the grand ballroom dances, Surayia yearned to be an artist and to draw the vividness of life she witnessed. She was intoxicated by the sm ell of paper and ink. Her talent was noticed by a school teacher who prom oted her acceptance in art school, but she could not attend because of the com m unal riots caused by the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947. Instead, her m arriage was arranged at seventeen years of age, and along with m any other Muslim s she m oved to Dhaka, in what was then called East Pakistan. She becam e very depressed and put her art aside to raise three children, her living art. Surayias life turned again when her husband had a stroke and she needed to becom e the breadwinner of the fam ily. In a tim e when equality of opportunity was rare, she courageously and dutifully turned to her art, painting for Catholic priests and nuns in Bangladesh, French patrons who would send her work to Paris and others who discovered her quietly working in her house surrounded by water. Though painting was her passion, a Canadian asked her to join a project to train underprivileged wom en to em broider at a center for wom en and children. W om en were seldom seen on the streets of Dhaka those days, but they lined up to com e and work at this center. While others did not believe in the ability of uneducated wom en to learn a fine skill, Surayia sat on the floor and stitched with her girls. Without discrim ination, she patiently em powered themto earn a living wage. Thread by thread, m onth by m onth, Surayias nakshi kantha tapestries brought a traditional household em broidery craft to an art form , with intricate designs and stitches that told stunning stories based on rural life, the great Bengali poets T agore and Jasim uddin and the colonial period. They sold quickly. And then one day Surayia was released from the project, her designs forcibly retained, her livelihood in peril. Surayia fought for her designs in copyright court, but to no avail. An artist, alone and in need, with fam ily to feed and educate, she bravely started her own organization Arshi (m irror). Soon, Surayias living paintbrushes started com ing back to her. The other project folded and Arshi thrived. One young wom an would go back to her village with design, thread and needle, and seven m ore would com e from near and far. Soon there were hundreds. As Surayia was feeding her fam ily, so these wom en were feeding theirs. After twenty-five years building a com m unity of wom en
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com

newsletter
Please subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the Surayia Rahm an docum entary. W e do not share or sell your personal inform ation. Period.
Em ailAddress:

Join Now

facebook
Like us on Facebook!
Like 59

how to help

Spread the word Contribute Send photos Find out More...

fam ily, so these wom en were feeding theirs. After twenty-five years building a com m unity of wom en who grew in confidence and skill, Surayia, nearly 80, becam e ill. Her intricate, long fingers could no longer draw . She gave her designs to a group of nuns, and her girls m oved on to a new era. They started years ago with little m ore than a sm all ball of rice tied into the corner of their sari and they now say goodbye to Surayia, som e having been able to send their children to university, others owning land, and others with a fam ily hom e. Surayia has no paintings or tapestries. Her work is now scattered throughout the world. Her story and the story of her tapestries is yet untold. What does the future hold for Surayia and these talented wom en? Search

search

posts by category
Select Category

posts by month
Select Month Unless otherwise noted, all photographs on this website 2010 Anil Advani and Kantha Productions LLC

converted by Web2PDFConvert.com