Khetaram Sumra is an artisan from Rajasthan who specialises in pattu weaving
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
From Kashmir’s diverse aari, sujani and tilla embroidery and Karnataka’s Lambani to Gujarat’s Ajrakh and Rajasthan’s usta and pichwai paintings, over 25 craftpersons and artisans from across the country will present their art at Bengaluru this week.
This is courtesy a collaboration between Project Tarasha (the flagship social initiative by Titan Company Ltd) and Creative Dignity, both organisations formed during the pandemic to uplift rural artisans. “The partnership focusses on the holistic development of craft practitioners, covering aspects such as design mentoring, creative collaborations, market access, product innovation, and online enhancement,” says Sridhar N E, chief sustainability officer, Titan, adding that the project also provides tailormade, need-based interventions to craft groups from across India.
Project Tarasha highlights artisans who work with hard material/non-textile crafts, and addresses their challenges of material, processes and markets that require a customised approach.
Artist Pankaj Kumar Khakodiya’s usta painting
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Meera Goradia, co-chair, Creative Dignity, explains that the artisans selected for this event are part of the collaboration between Creative Dignity and Project Tarasha for the Artisan Enterprise Lab (AEL) programme. “This includes training, capacity building and design mentorships for artisans. The artisans have undergone intensive training workshops of 5-11 days at a time for digital skills and marketing, business and design development, and value addition. Many of them have begun marketing successfully on social media platforms, and have seen increased buyers and outreach,” says Meera, adding that 100% of sale proceeds go to the artisans.
At the event, look forward to artisans displaying glass work and kites from Uttar Pradesh, copper bell craft from Gujarat, West Bengal’s sholapith, leather puppetry from Andhra Pradesh, handloom weaves from Rajasthan and banana fibre craft from Karnataka, among others.
Artist Gobindo Halder’s sholapith art
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Crafts aside, visitors can look forward to folk music performances by singers Shabnam Virmani accompanied by Shreeparna Mitra, Sunaad and the Vasu Dixit Collective. Chitrakatha, a visual performative art form from Pinguli near Sindhudurg in Maharashtra that depicts traditional narratives of the Mahabharata and Ramayana, with songs, paintings and puppets, will also be performed.
February 9 to 11 at Bengaluru International Centre, Domlur.
