Since time immemorial, the colour red has come to be associated with a wide range of things, both in life and in art. It often represents shades of love, and facets of anger too. At times, it reeks of blood, while at others, it can symbolise danger. In some cultures, it epitomises courage and sacrifice, whereas others link it to hatred and war.
It’s this spectrum that British artist Kirstie Macleod set out to explore as part of the ‘Red Dress Project’, which has made its way to India for the very first time for an exhibition at the Hampi Art Labs in Karnataka. Macleod’s passion project — which was conceived back in 2009 — has been worked on by over 350 artists from 51 countries, including men and non-binary artists.
The burgundy silk dress carries weaves and words that are testament to the courage of the embroiderers, who include female refugees from Palestine, Syria and Ukraine, women seeking asylum in the UK from Iran, Iraq, China, Nigeria and Namibia, and survivors of war in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda, and DR Congo, to name a few. Below the shoulders is a message written by Afghani embroiderers in Farsi, loosely translating to “I have hope… even when I’m alone and in darkness”. In a section of the skirt are the words ‘Women, Life, Freedom’, a tribute to Mahsa Amini, whose death in 2022 galvanised women in Iran to protest restrictions on their freedom. They were stitched by an anonymous Iranian artist seeking refuge in the UK. Some inches away, a group of six doves carry a poem for peace written by artisans from Kosovo, who recently returned to their hometown after fleeing the country during the armed conflict in 1998-99. At the back of the bodice is a pattern representing a spider web, stitched by Macleod herself, symbolising the process of weaving together these multiple realities into one.
Macleod, 43, says the idea for the award-winning collaborative project came from a trip to Karnataka 18 years ago when she spent several hours sitting and stitching alongside Lambani women, immersing herself in the textile traditions of the nomadic tribe. “Although I could not speak to the women in a common language, we connected through our mutual love of stitching. Seven years later, these experiences provided huge inspiration in creating The Red Dress,” says Macleod, who has included Lambani embroidery collected from that time in the bodice of the garment. As a result, it felt like life had come “full circle” when the Hampi Art Labs reached out to her for an exhibition, she adds. The dress is on display as part of an exhibition titled ‘Knots that Bind’, along with specially curated artwork from the collection of Sangita Jindal, chairperson of JSW Foundation and founder of Hampi Art Labs.
Jindal says what stood out to her the most about the project is how beautifully it weaves together craft and community in a meaningful way. “It is a living, breathing testament to the collective stories, experiences and voices of hundreds of embroiderers from diverse communities around the world. It transcends the aesthetic and becomes a symbol of unity, resilience, and the universal power of creative expression,” she adds.
Macleod, who has taken the project to multiple countries across the world since 2022, says that while the project involved dealing with difficult experiences of grief and trauma, the most satisfying part has been to take the dress back to the artists, and see the joy on their faces when they try it on.
It’s also been heartening to see the empowerment they’ve gone through financially, she adds. The commissioned artists were paid for their work, and continue to receive a portion of all ongoing exhibition fees, merchandise, and the opportunity to sell their work through the Red Dress Etsy shop. However, in some cases, the ongoing conflicts have hampered the flow, Macleod laments. For instance, Russian artist Anastasia Yurievna Katyshevtseva, who lives in a remote part of the country at the foot of Titovskaya hill, hasn’t been able to receive any monetary proceeds for two years, due to ongoing financial sanctions amidst the Russia-Ukraine war.
“She has got nothing to do with what’s going on at the frontline, but she’s affected. I hope the project helps people see that there are different sides to every story. Even if two countries are at war, and one side is behaving particularly awfully, it doesn’t mean that everyone from that country should be painted with the same brush,” she emphasises.
