Design and the evolving tradition of Sanganer hand block printing: Formation and negotiation of artisanal knowledge and identities

Tradition has been described by heritage studies as a transformative process that is being ‘enforced, reinvented, transformed, denied, or contested’ (Varutti 2015: 1038), with heritage seen as a construct of the past, present and imagined futures. (Smith 2006) The role of craft and design interactions in safeguarding and rejuvenating cultural practices has yet to receive extensive attention against this theoretical backdrop1. In order to discuss how design discourse affects craft practices we studied Sanganer hand block printing’s development amidst increasing design influences in post-independence India. We especially consider the way in which artisanal practices and identities are formed and negotiated when engaged with specific design scenarios and actors; and by studying the varied attitudes and realities of contemporary Sanganer hand block printing, this paper identifies a broad range of modern, ‘traditional’ and ‘heritage’ craft identities and practices that here co-exist.