Playing With Patterns – Wooden Block Making With Gayur Ahmed

The tradition of making hand-printed textiles is widely practised in Rajasthan. It is characterized by the use of imprints of geometric as well as stylized floral and animal forms. This is possible only because of the process that goes behind, i.e., the art of wooden block making. There are craftsmen that specialize in making blocks for block printing. The royal state of Rajasthan, Jaipur is home to the wooden-block making award-winning artist Gayur Ahmed who will be your curator for this experience. 

Hand-block printing on textile is practiced all over India, but Jaipur has been an important center for block making with distinctive designs. The block designs are carved on shagon wood by hereditary craftspersons who trace their descent from Shia muslims of persia who settled here during the regime of Sawai Jai Singh II. 

Did you know? Peculiar to Jaipuri blocks is the number of air passages drilled through the blocks to ensure circulation of air in the block during the printing thus preventing the fabric from lifting when the block is raised.

Gayur Ahmed comes from a 400 years old traditional family of wooden carvers of Jaipur. Gayur learnt his art from his father; his grandfather too was a carver. As a third-generation carver, Gayur learned the art from his father and was recognized by the Government of India (Ministry of textiles) and received the prestigious Certificate of Merit In 2014. 

Join the award winning artist Mr. Gayur Ahmed for a hands-on workshop on wooden block making in his veranda. Learn the intricacy of the artform from the master and take home a souvenir and memories for life. 

EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

• Be enveloped in the crafty process of wooden block making 
• Get a live demonstration of the entire process - cutting sheesham wood into different lengths and widths, tracing design on the surface, carving, drilling cylindrical holes, finishing up
• One-on-one conversations with the national-award-winning artist
• Co-create a cherished memory 
• Take home a little piece of Jaipur with you
• Be assisted by Rajasthan Studio team
• Small Group Sizes
• Sanitised Studio