রুবি গজনবী (১৯৩৫-২০২৩) স্মরণে

আগামী ২ মার্চ বৃহস্পতিবার বেঙ্গল শিল্পালয়ে সন্ধ্যা ৬.৩০টায় রুবি গজনবী প্রণীত প্রাকৃতিক রং ও নকশার কিছু নিদর্শন সংবলিত ‘নৈবেদ্য’ প্রদর্শনী উদ্বোধন করবেন সেন্ট্রাল উইমেন্স ইউনিভার্সিটির উপাচার্য ড. পারভিন হাসান। শ্রদ্ধেয় রুবি গজনবী স্মরণে বক্তব্য রাখবেন জাতীয় কারুশিল্প পরিষদের সভাপতি চন্দ্রশেখর সাহা, অরণ্য ক্রাফটসের ব্যবস্থাপনা পরিচালক নওশিন খায়ের এবং তাঁর সহকর্মীবৃন্দ।
স্মরণ ও শ্রদ্ধায় পরম সুহৃদ রুবি গজনবীর প্রতি আমাদের এই নৈবেদ্য। অনুষ্ঠানে আপনাকে সবান্ধব সাদর আমন্ত্রণ।

বেঙ্গল শিল্পালয়, লেভেল ৪, বাড়ি ৪২, সড়ক ২৭
শেখ কামাল সরণি, ধানমণ্ডি, ঢাকা

প্রদর্শনী চলবে ১১ মার্চ পর্যন্ত
প্রতিদিন বিকেল ৪টা থেকে রাত ৮টা

নৈবেদ্য । Offering
Tribute to natural dyes expert Ruby Ghuznavi 1935-2023
Discussion and exhibition titled ‘Noibeddo/ Offering’ in commemoration of the works and designs by distinguished crafts exponent and the founder of Aranya, Ms. Ruby Ghuznavi (1935-2023)
Bengal Foundation, National Crafts Council of Bangladesh, and Aranya Crafts are pleased to jointly present a discussion and an exhibition to uphold Ruby Ghuznavi’s pioneering work in natural dyes, nakshi kantha embriodery and Jamdani weaving. Ghuznavi was an unflagging fighter for the dignity of women, and the rights of children. She believed that with education, children in the crafts community would better understand and appreciate the knowledge and ingenuity that fine crafts demanded.
An organiser with a bold vision, Ghuznavi was a founder member of the National Crafts Council of Bangladesh (NCCB). She worked tirelessly to raise the bar of excellence in crafts, for which NCCB and the craftspeople of Bangladesh will always hold her memory dear.
Ruby Ghuznavi was admired for her erudition, steely determination, and fortitude. Her artistic temperament was evident in her elegant attire and composed demeanor. Much as she was beholden to local culture and tradition, Ghuznavi was also a citizen of the world.
We are grateful to Ruby Ghuznavi for kindling in us a love for natural dyes. She felt keenly responsible for preserving the environment, and that led her to generously teach and share her learning with others. She poured her heart and soul into Aranya, which she founded in 1998. We are fortunate to have received her affection. ‘Noibeddo/ Offering’ is a small attempt to showcase Ruby Ghuznavi’s  work with natural dyes.

The exhibition will be on view until 11 March, everyday from 4 to 8 PM.

Bengal Shilpalay
Level 4, House 42, Road 27
Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1209

For more information write to info@bengalfoundation.org or call 01844050505

Ruby Ghuznavi (1935-2023)

The textile world lost a great pioneer and dedicated champion when Ruby Ghuznavi passed away in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 14 January 2023 at the age of 87.
Ruby pioneered the revival of natural dyes in Bangladesh, starting from scratch and eventually setting up Aranya Crafts in Dhaka to test the market for naturally dyed cloth. In time, through trial and error, some 30 basic colourfast dyes were introduced by Aranya, which could, of course, be combined into a large range of colours. Block printing and other craft techniques were worked into her beautiful fabrics and garments.

‘There were ten of us altogether and we started experimenting with just about every plant and every flower we could think of….In those days we had to be very careful and document exactly what we were doing each time we made a new colour.’ (Interview in Daily Star, Dhaka 14.2.11)

Persuading weavers to use naturally dyed yarn instead of easily available synthetic colours was not always easy, but Ruby was nothing if not persistent. Aranya ran training courses in natural dye techniques for producers and makers both in Bangladesh and abroad.

As a founder member of KARIKA, the Bangladesh Handicrafts Co-operative Federation, of the National Crafts Council of Bangladesh (NCCB) and Honorary member of the World Crafts Council, Ghuznavi worked to raise the profile of Bangladeshi crafts in a global context. Determined to restore jamdani fabric to its former status as a fine luxury fabric, she was one of the key organisers of the 2019 Jamdani Festival in Dhaka which convinced both weavers and public that high quality jamdani could still be produced. It is now considered the national fabric of Bangladesh and in 2013 was included in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, in large part due to her efforts.

When many rural women were left without support after the Liberation War of 1971, Ghuznavi encouraged them to stitch kantha (a form of embroidered quilting, worked on flat layers of fabric) which provided them with independent income. Debating whether this commercial approach debased the traditional craft she commented that the women always reinvested their earnings in education or their children, land and cattle, materially improving their lives. Survival took precedence over purity.

Organiser of exhibitions (including involvement in Woven Air at the Whitechapel Gallery London in 1988) and other events, author of books and articles, Ruby did not stop at textiles. She was also involved in Terre des Hommes, a Swiss NGO which started educational programmes for children in Bangladesh. She was an active participant in Naripokkho, an organisation working for women’s rights and development and a key member of Transparency International’s Bangladesh Chapter, which aims to build support for anti-corruption programs through strengthening civil society activities.

Born in 1935, Ruby was one of nine children. The family lived in Kolkata where her father was a judge, then settled in East Pakistan after Partition. After gaining BSc and MA degrees in Economics from the University of Dhaka, she worked as a teacher and social activist. The experiences of this work, of displacement and war, clearly informed her understanding of the social value of handmade textiles. She understood the whole cycle from hand craft to global market. Perfectionist in her drive, humanitarian in her vision and artist in her creative imagination. Ruby Ghuznavi will be hard to replace.

by Sonia Ashmore
Design historian