Angikam - Art of Kalamkari

Angikam - a design house of Kalamkari designer wear, is the result of Banasri (Vanashree) Rao’s fascination of the Andhra art form of Kalamkari. A Banasri Rao, a renowned Kuchipudi dancer and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee, is the wife of Padmasri Guru Jayarama Rao.

Kalamkari is an exquisite art. It literally means pen work. This art form is hand painted with the use of vegetable dyes on fabrics. This KIndian art has evolved over the last 3000 years; its legacy has been handed down from generation to generation.

The Kalamkari technique goes through a vigorous process of resist – dyeing and hand painting. A lot of treatment is done before and after the painting is done on the fabric. The colours change depending on the treatment of cloth and quality of the mordant. Every step in the process is painstakingly done with perfection. While the whole world is talking about going green, kalamkari artistes traditionally use only organic colours extracted from flowers, barks, roots and other natural sources. Your patronage in supporting this ancient art form will help it to survive the present era of mass production.