Varanasi, like the vast majority of India, is a veritable mosaic of light and color. Sunlight ripples off the Ganges and dances across the gold dome of Vishwanath Temple. Lush landscapes burst with greenery. Doors glimmer with blindingly blue paint. Windowsills are pastel pink. To say nothing of the people, who are draped head-to-toe in the brightest fabrics imaginable. This isn’t Scandinavia, with its blonde woods and monochromatic minimalism, or Paris, where color plays a complementary role. This is India, where color is woven into the very fiber of its being.
This joyful, riotous color is in some small part the work of 34-year-old Anil Upadhay. An experienced artisan, Anil relies on his steady hands to dip raw fiber into a boiling vat of dye, rhythmically rotating the yarn to apply an even depth of hue. What might seem like a straightforward process is actually full of complexities: different fibers like wool, jute, viscose, polyester, and sisal take dye differently, and therefore each requires a unique approach. Also, dye lots vary from batch to batch, so each must be interacted with differently to achieve the perfect shade.
As with all things in life, here, timing is everything. Accompanied by a fellow artisan, Anil keeps a watchful eye on how much dye the yarn receives, continually shifting and adjusting which threads need more exposure and which ones have had enough. This isn't a process that can be automated; it requires careful consideration and a perfect eye for color.
As with all facets of design, the rug industry is hyper-sensitive to color. If a designer wants robin’s egg blue, she must have robin’s egg blue. The difference may seem minimal, but a subtle shift in shade provides an entirely different feeling; a new set of complements and cultural associations. Given these exacting standards, it’s a testament to Anil’s work that he, and skilled artisans like him, give our industry its color.
