Woven textiles as art: An examination of the revival of weaving in the Chittagong hill tracts (Bangladesh)

Weaving, in both its traditional and innovative applications, emerged across the Chittagong hills hundreds of years ago. After several decades of neglect, a traditionally woven fabric is once again commanding recognition: as a cultural artefact and as an art object. My research in a weaving village led me to explore how indigenous communities can foster a greater appreciation for the craft and attempt to push the medium to its creative limits. This thesis locates and identifies the uniqueness of hand weaving by examining the relationship between art and culture. During my field research in Bangladesh, I juxtaposed textile crafts from various indigenous groups to do a comparative analysis and to show their similarities in technique and function. I did participant observation to take a closer look on how the production of textiles reflects broader social, economic and political issues.; Cloth still has a very important significance to indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts but more creative alternatives are needed to preserve and revive the art of weaving. The exhibition of fabric designs using traditionally hand-woven textiles was created to demonstrate the resiliency of cloth in a modern way and to motivate the younger generation of women to rediscover their heritage and weaving knowledge. My research will show how these fabrics can be used as a means of gaining agency and control for the people. The ‘Raygula’ textile project aimed at awakening indigenous people to the richness of their heritage and enabled them to express their creativity through the art of weaving.