Jayantilal joined the family weaving profession after leaving school. He works with his two brothers and father. He learned everything about weaving from his family. He has participated in a local exhibition at Hira Lakshmi Memorial Craft Park, Bhujodi. Earlier he worked at the Craft Park and its parent company, Ashapura Industries, but as the salaries were not good and he was bound by duty times, he left. “In weaving,” he says, “I can do whatever I like, whenever I like and I am not fixed to anything. I am completely independent.”
According to Jayantilal, a good artisan is one who knows everything about weaving. His work should be different from others. It should look so good that even if the work is less, it seems more. His income should also be good. Good design, according to him, should have both traditional and new aspects. Jayantilal thinks that the art of weaving will never diminish as it is appreciated everywhere, always. The power loom is in competition with the handloom, but weaving persists. To develop weaving, weavers need to give weaving a new direction. He also says that weaving should maintain its autonomy so that a power loom can not imitate it.
Jayantilal learned about KRV from 2009 graduate Namoribhai who has also sent his son to KRV this year. Jayantilal heard many new things about weaving and observed that the weavers from his village who went to KRV were benefited in their art and income, so he decided to join KRV.
Jayantilal’s dream is to uplift the standard of his craft and life. He dreams to form a different identity in his field through weaving. He also longs to participate in national and international exhibitions and of course, to visit foreign countries |