sujani work

Sujani (or Sujini) is one of the most common forms of traditional Bihar art and crafts. It's a traditional quilt made in the state's rural areas. The art has been preserved in remote villages by women who create high-quality decorative items mainly for domestic use. Easy stitches and readily available fabrics were used to build this piece and at times with well-worn pieces of clothes, the Sujani works are generally crafted by women in their free time at home.

The craftswomen produce furnishings such as bedspreads, wall hangings, cushion, and bolster covers, as well as clothing items like saris, dupattas, and kurtas. Patches of different coloured fabric from old saris and dhotis were typically sewn together with a simple running stitch to make a quilt called Sujani during childbirth. The intention of wrapping the newborn in an old cloth with sujani was very specific – to allow it to be enveloped in a soft embrace similar to that of its mother. Three or four sections of saris or dhotis were laid on top of each other and quilted with the thread that was unpicked from the used garments. The stitch filling of the motifs was done with a simple running stitch and the outline of the motif was usually done with a chain stitch in dark color.

The Sujini is distinctive for its transformation of a traditional craft into a vehicle for expressing contemporary social and political themes. These narratives proclaim that social change is the essence and purpose of the craft revival. Tragically similar stories abound: drunk, disabled, absentee, or unemployable husbands, unsympathetic cruel and demanding mothers-in-law, property that has been mortgaged to pay off debts. A typical quilt is divided into two parts. One side seeks to portray the realities-a drunken man beating his wife; a man giving dowry; men cloistered in a village meeting and women in purdah.