Between presence and absence: signature, signature style and agency of the kalamkari makers

Does the signature of an artisan or the signature style of a collective or individual practice fully account for the agency of their makers? An in-depth investigation of this issue, drawing on the theorisation of agency and identity, is presented while interpreting three kalamkari textiles of Southeastern India: a rare eighteenth-century kalamkari featuring an inscription in Telugu and two textiles by the late Nageswara Rao and Nandam Venkateswara Rao, Andhra Pradesh. A close visual analysis of the textiles is complemented by archival studies, interviews and insights drawn from dyeing processes to examine this issue. This study reflects on the interrelations between regional, collective and individual identities of the artisans and critically assesses the significance of artisanal processes to comprehend the makers's merit. The interdependence of signature, signature style and the narratives of the kalamkari makers are set in conversation in this exploration to foreground artisanal voices and actions.