This length of textured cotton furnishing fabric was designed by the influential American weaver Sheila Hicks and handwoven in India in the mid 1970s. In 1966 Hicks had been commissioned to work with the weavers at the Commonwealth Trust Handweaving Factory in Calicut, Kerala, in southern India. Established in the mid 19th century and well known for their high quality output, the Factory was having difficulty in marketing its products in Europe. Their overseas sales manager Lionel Paul invited Hicks to develop designs that would be more attractive to European tastes and Hicks developed the outstanding Kerala collection for the Factory. The collection attracted immediate interest when she took examples to Paris and 'Badagara' became popular as a wall covering for hotel foyers and other communal areas. The well known Sydney architect Harry Seidler ordered 'Badagara' for the foyer of the new Hong Kong Club which was built in the 1970s.

'Badagara' was named after a fishing village on the Malabar coast where Hicks stayed shortly after arriving in India. Enchanted with the place, she decided to give this special fabric the name of the village. 'Badagara' and the Kerala collection generally were based on ideas developed by Hicks through her interest in pre-Columbian weaving traditions, including split weft and wrapped ribbed weft. 'Badagara' is in plain weave, its ribbed, sculptured effect relying on the random insertion of very thick tapering and overlapping wefts secured by rows of plain even weave using the same fine cotton as the warp.

In 1969, Sheila Hicks entered a piece of blue 'Badagara' in the Lausanne Tapestry Biennale; she considered 'Badagara' as structurally a tapestry, given its use of additive techniques. 'Badagara' was made in a number of colours, including blue, although only white, cerise, beige and dark brown/black came into Australia. Ascraft Fabrics was the Australian importer and brought 'Badagara' into the country, among other Indian furnishing textiles, in the 1970s.

This fabric was designed by Sheila Hicks, an influential American fibre artist who went to India in 1966 to work with the weavers at the Commonwealth Trust Handweaving Factory in Calicut, Kerala, in southern India. Established in the mid 19th century and well known for their high quality output, the Factory was having difficulty in marketing its products in Europe. Their overseas sales manager Lionel Paul invited Hicks to develop designs that would be more attractive to European tastes and Hicks developed the outstanding Kerala collection for the Factory. The collection attracted immediate interest when she took examples to Paris and 'Badagara' became popular as a wall covering for hotel foyers and other communal areas.

The fabric's name came from a fishing village on the Malabar Coast which Hicks visited soon after her arrival in India. Joyce Burnard writes: "The village was called Badagara and was situated beside the turquoise blue Indian Ocean with gentle waves lapping onto a white sandy beach. Sheila was so enchanted with the place that she decided to call this special fabric after the village - so 'Badagara' became its name."

'Badagara' and the Kerala collection generally were based on ideas developed by Hicks through her interest in pre-Columbian weaving traditions, including split weft and wrapped ribbed weft. 'Badagara' is in plain weave, its ribbed, sculptured effect relying on the random insertion of very thick tapering and overlapping wefts secured by rows of plain even weave using the same fine cotton as the warp.

'Badagara' was produced in several colours, although Ascraft Fabrics, who brought 'Badagara' into Australia, imported only white, cerise, beige (as in this example) and dark brown/black. Ascraft Fabrics was founded in 1974 and specialised in Indian handloomed furnishing fabrics. This length of 'Badagara' was given to the Museum by Ascraft Fabrics, through the agency of the founder of Ascraft Fabrics. It hung for some years in the Ascraft premises in Surry Hills.

A length of blue 'Badagara' was displayed by Sheila Hicks at the Lausanne Tapestry Biennale in 1969; with its additive technique, Hicks considered 'Badagara' as a tapestry. In the 1970s, the Sydney architect, Harry Seidler, ordered 'Badagara' for the foyer of the new Hong Kong Club which was built to replace the Club's old colonial building.

A length of heavily textured handwoven furnishing fabric in beige cotton, framed with natural wood moulding. The weave is plain and the ribbed, sculptured effect relies on the random insertion of very thick tapering and overlapping wefts secured by rows of plain even weave using the same fine cotton as the warp.

Designed: Hicks, Sheila;

Made: Commonwealth Trust Handweaving Factory; Calicut, India; 1971 - 1981


Used: Ascraft Fabrics; Sydney; 1970 - 1979

Used: Seidler, Harry; Sydney; 1970 - 1979

No marks

2006/71/1

1270 mm

1295 mm