Mastering jacquard textiles
At Mechaniya, we see jacquard as a digital handicraft, blending technology with human artistry.
In a digital jacquard design, one pixel on the screen is equal to one knitted loop. A complete drawing holds millions of pixels, with each motif consisting of thousands of these units that give meaning to its form. The human choice behind the placement and colour of each pixel reflects personal stories of visual understanding and experimentation. The resulting machine-knitted artwork incorporates the artisan’s vision by transforming her ideas into stitches.
We experiment with the scale of pixel compositions by reimagining small portions of the design as hand embroidery and crochet. This gives rise to textured works that are embedded with both heritage and human touch.
About women & technology
It’s often observed that in factories, women are commonly engaged in delicate handwork, but excluded from spaces that are intervened by technology.
We conduct workshops where we train women to employ both computation and creativity. They learn to create detailed jacquard designs using specialized software, along with sessions on hand embroidery and crochet. Through this dual training, they gain the confidence and expertise to move fluidly between tradition and technology adapting Mechaniya as an identity through which they claim authorship over both handicraft and digital design.
A studio in a factory
Contrary to the assumption that factories can only produce standardized, impersonal goods, we showcase the depth of creative choice that can exist within a mass production setting.
Building our studio inside a knitwear factory gives us direct access to industrial knitting machines, specialized software, raw materials and the nuanced language of textile production. This proximity allows us to push our creative boundaries, combining digital tools with tactile techniques, and integrating domestic craft languages into machine-based processes.
The factory gives us the resources to experiment with and iterate, while the art, in return, restores the human spirit to the factory floor.
The Process
Each collection begins with a motif or theme inspired by Indian heritage. Visual and contextual research leads to a moodboard and rough sketches that set the tone for the artworks.
Motif to Moodboard
From these initial sketches, final outline drawings are created, which serve as the foundation for collaboration with our women artisans.
Moodboard to Sketch
Colour Mapping
As our studio sits inside a knitwear factory, reclaimed yarns and fabrics from factory excess are used. Using colour theory and an eye for quality, palettes of up to eight yarn shades are visualised, balancing available resources with aesthetic intent.
Collaboration is key. Women artisans create intricate design elements, pixel by pixel, using specialized knitting software. These contributions are then carefully reflected upon, played with, iterated, and assembled into a complete and striking digital artwork.
Designing jacquards
The design is programmed into a knitting machine to create the jacquard tapestry. Handworks like crochet and embroidery are also reimagined in contemporary, pixelated forms, either integrated into the jacquard or developed as independent works. These material experiments, beautifully blending tradition and new ideas, lead to the development of unique art pieces in textured forms.
