DALLAS, Jul 1, 2009 / FW/ — The latest venture of Polly&me is called “Gup Shup” which is an exhibition of 23 contemporary hand embroidered textiles. The exhibition opened on International Women’s Day (8th March, 2009) at the National Art Gallery in Islamabad, Pakistan and is now coming to Melbourne, Australia as part of the “The World of Small Things”.
Polly&me will be exhibiting their handbags and textiles at:
“The World of Small Things”
Craft Victoria Melbourne
Opening 18th June until the 25th July
The pieces are created by female artisans from the mountainous valley of Chitral, in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The collaborative body of work displays an insight into the private space of the female artisans. The pieces illustrate the ebb and flow of their daily lives – the everyday comings and goings, the ventures of child-rearing and home-making, and the special events that colour their lives.
There has been much written about Pakistan and it precarious geo-political situation. The aim of Gup Shup is to provide a stark contrast to how Pakistan has been represented, particularly over the past two years. It is strongly felt that the everyday lives and traditions of common people are not highlighted – particularly the voices of ordinary women, who very often don’t get heard.
These artworks are now part of Polly&me’s latest handbag collection
Polly&me is an Australian sister team working in Pakistan. Cath Braid, a fashion designer who trained at Central St. Martins, London, started working in Chitral on a womenwear label “Caravana” and has been working in Chitral for six years.
Now she and her sister Ange run the business Polly&Me with over 400 women across eight centers in and around Chitral town, producing textiles for women’s accessories.
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