Rajen: Weaving a Legacy of Magic and Abstraction
This retrospective exhibition at Chatterjee & Lal, running until 26 October 2024, celebrates Rajen’s 60-year career of fusing traditional Indian techniques with modern abstraction, creating tapestries that blend cultural motifs and bold experimentation.
The exhibition Rajen (1931 – 2021): A Weaver of Magic honours the life and work of Rajendra Chaudhari, known affectionately as Rajen. Hosted by Chatterjee & Lal, this tribute showcases the extraordinary talent of a weaver who blended tradition with innovation over a six-decade-long career. Rajen passed away in 2021 at the age of 90, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire.
A Weaver’s Journey
Born in 1931 in Saharanpur, North India, Rajen’s artistic path began in an unexpected way. Raised in a farming family with no direct connection to the arts, his passion for creativity was evident early on. It was at a Gurukul that Rajen first encountered the charkha, setting the stage for his future in weaving.
After his studies at Gurukul Kangri and Agra University, Rajen enrolled at Sir J. J. School of Art in Bombay in the mid-1950s. There, he was exposed to both traditional Indian art and the emerging modernist movements that would shape his career.
From Canvas to Loom
Rajen’s fascination with weaving took hold when he joined the Weavers’ Service Centre in Banaras. Under the mentorship of Mr. A.K. Das, he gained the technical skills that defined his weaving mastery. He later pursued advanced training abroad, thanks to a Ford Foundation scholarship, learning weaving techniques at institutions in the UK, Finland, and Sweden.
Upon returning to India, Rajen founded his studio, WeaveLab, where he combined traditional Indian motifs with modern, abstract compositions. His groundbreaking work experimented with unconventional materials—feathers, cassette tapes, and clay tiles—while his monumental tapestries, such as the 60-foot curtains for auditoriums, became widely celebrated.
The WeaveLab: A Creative Sanctuary
Rajen’s tapestries displayed a remarkable ability to marry abstraction with tradition. His art bridged cultures and times, crafting a narrative that spoke to universal human experiences. As Tara Lal and Mortimer Chatterjee, founders of Chatterjee & Lal, note:
“We are fascinated both by Rajen’s individual practice as well as his role within the larger network of artists and designers working with textiles in India from the 1960s onwards. This was a period in which traditional techniques were brought to bear on contemporary art trends. In the case of Rajen, this included his art school training at the Sir JJ School of Art in the 1950s as well as a growing interest in abstraction from the 1960s onwards. These parallel interests fueled his furious experimentation in weaving techniques learned both in India and during his European travels. This puts him in conversation with other creatives of the period, such as Nelly Sethna and Riten Mozumdar.”
Rajen’s influence on textile art cannot be overstated. His tapestries, exhibited globally, from Delhi to the UK, reflect the skill of a master weaver with a visionary approach. His work is part of collections in India and abroad, and his legacy lives on in every thread he spun.
A Tribute to Life and Art
Rajen (1931 – 2021): A Weaver of Magic offers a chance to witness the artistry of a man who revolutionized textile art, transforming the loom into a canvas for cultural and personal stories. Hosted at Chatterjee & Lal in Mumbai until 26 October, the exhibition celebrates Rajen’s vibrant, innovative work and honours a legacy that remains as vivid as the threads he wove.
