beadwork by Dr. Meghana kamat
Dr. Meghana Kamat is a leading artist in the area of seed beads, also known as micro-beads (glass beads that are between 1 to 2 mm in size) in India. She started out 25 years back, the first piece made as a replica of her grand-mothers beadwork and today she boasts of having created artworks with over 50 lakh (5 million) seed beads. She was a practicing doctor in Malaysia and on her return to India, she emerged herself in various skills like single thread embroidery and seed beads layouts, carrying forward an ancient craft that is mostly practiced in a few regions of Gujarat.
Beadwork, the art form, in India is as old as 9th century B.C, the technique Dr. Kamat uses is very unique to her own style. She has not only created most complex geometric patterns but has been successful in weaving portraits straight from the photographs. This is a feat that only few around the world have been successful with. With the use of graph charts and mathematical algorithms, Dr. Kamat's art is a scientific approach towards preservation of the crafts for the generations to come. Her work was published in an International magazine - Beads & Buttons.
History of seed beads art:
The history of beads dates back to the Late Old Stone Age (the Upper Paleolithic). But during those days beads were large in size probably made of ivory or shells. The seed beads which are presently used for beads weaving is also an ancient art that can be traced back in the Egyptian items dating back to 4000 years. One of the best examples of those days for beadwork was King Tut of ancient Egypt had beadwork in his tomb and other examples tend to be rare. But there were several beaded items found in Shosoin temple in Nara, Japan dating to 8th century A.D.
Beadwork in India is also noted around 9th century B.C that refers to the braiding beads into horsetails and hairs. The very first reference that speaks evidently about bead weaving is about 1300 A.D. And the earliest mass-produced seed beads were noted to be the Indo-Pacific beads of India and associated regions. They led the bead trade for about 2000 years. Around 1490 the Modern era of beadwork began when Venice learned to turn round tubes into round seed beads.
"Meghana Kamat ni msanii wa India ambaye anajulikana kwa jina la ""Micro Beads"" (beads za kioo zenye ukubwa wa kati ya 1 na 2mm)." Alianza miaka 25 iliyopita, kipande cha kwanza kilichotengenezwa kama nakala ya shanga za nyanya za nyanya zake, na leo anajivunia kuunda kazi za sanaa na zaidi ya shanga za mbegu milioni 50. Alipokuwa daktari nchini Malaysia, aliporudi India, alijitokeza katika ustadi mbalimbali kama vile embroidery ya thread moja na mpangilio wa shanga za mbegu, akisafirisha mbele ufundi wa kale ambao unafanywa katika mikoa michache ya Gujarat. Ufundi wa kupasua shanga nchini India ulianza karne ya 9 KK, na mbinu ambayo Dr. Kamat anatumia ni ya kipekee sana kwa mtindo wake mwenyewe. Yeye si tu umebuni zaidi tata geometric mifumo lakini imekuwa na mafanikio katika weaving portraits moja kwa moja kutoka picha. Hilo ni jambo ambalo ni wachache tu ulimwenguni ambao wamefaulu kulifanya. Kwa kutumia chati za grafu na algorithms za hisabati, sanaa ya Dk Kamat ni mbinu ya kisayansi kuelekea kuhifadhi ufundi kwa vizazi vijavyo. Kazi yake ilichapishwa katika jarida la Kimataifa - Beads & Buttons. Historia ya shaba za mbegu: Historia ya shaba za mbegu huanzia enzi ya mwisho ya mawe ya kale (Ule Paleolithic ya Juu). Lakini katika siku hizo shanga zilikuwa kubwa sana na labda zilitengenezwa kwa pembe za tembo au makombora. Mimea ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga ya shanga. Mfano mzuri wa kazi ya bead ni Mfalme Tutankhamun wa Misri ya kale, ambaye alikuwa na kazi ya bead katika kaburi lake. Katika hekalu la Shoshen, Nara, Japani, kuna vitu kadhaa vya shanga vilivyopatikana katika karne ya 8 KK, na kazi ya shanga nchini India pia imebainishwa karibu karne ya 9 KK ambayo inahusu shanga za kufuma katika mikia ya farasi na nywele. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""kufumba shanga"" ni jina la kwanza la shanga la India, na kwa hivyo, shanga za kwanza zilizotengenezwa kwa wingi zilitambuliwa kuwa shanga za Indo-Pacific za India na mikoa inayohusiana." Wameongoza biashara ya shanga kwa miaka 2000 hivi. Karibu na mwaka wa 1490, enzi ya kisasa ya kazi ya shanga ilianza wakati Venice ilijifunza kugeuza mirija ya mviringo kuwa shanga za mbegu za mviringo.