In conjunction with the exhibition “Pigment on Cloth: Tradition, Family, and the Art of Indian Pichvai Painting,” Los Angeles-based pichvais researcher Kay Talwar will provide unique personal insights into the history and practice of pichvais, devotional paintings on cotton cloth made as temple hangings in Nathdwara, Rajasthan. Her 2 p.m., Oct. 14 presentation, "Making the Desert Bloom: Painted Textiles for a Krishna Temple," will be held in Room 11 of the Home Economics Building on UNL's East Campus. A reception will follow in the Hillestad Textiles Gallery, on the second floor. Both the talk and reception are free and open to the public.
The exhibition, continuing through Nov. 16, presents the work of one contemporary family of pichvais painters who represent the fifth, sixth and seventh generations of pichvais artists in their lineage. The exhibition documents their continuing creation of these visual narratives that illustrate stories from the life of the youthful Krishna.
Talwar holds an M.A. in art history from the University of Michigan. She has co-authored “Indian Pigment Paintings on Cloth” for the Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad, and “In Adoration of Krishna: Pichhwais for Shrinathji” for the TAPI Collection, Surat. For many years she has been involved in the Indian community of Los Angeles, promoting and supporting Indian art and cultural activities. She served as chairman of the Southern Asian Art Council at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for six years.
For more information, contact Michael James, department chair, Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design, at michael@unl.edu or 402-472-2911.