A couple of weeks ago I posted a link on facebook to the Craft Council Annual exhibition at Chola Sheraton. There were some great textiles and jewellery artists there- and Brass Tacks sources a lot of fabric from some of the artists who were there. I'm not sure why the Craft Council exhibition at Valluvar Kottam is given less importance. A part of me really dislikes the presentation of it all- it goes against everything we try to do at Brass Tacks (giving crafts better presentation and more of an urban context to appeal to an urban population). The place is set up a bit like a mela, with stalls arranged in rows (there is some order to it- though one never knows if it's by state or by alphabetical order). I think this year it might be by State- because the first two stalls are from Andhra Pradesh.
But forget about the presentation for an hour: if you like crafts, you've got to go there! Here is an opportunity to meet some of the craftsmen who don't get to make it to the annual event at Chola Sheraton. I saw cool archery equipment, drums, art, crockery, masks, and of course my true love: textiles! As I walked around taking in all the crafts, the environment made me feel a bit melancholy too. It must be tough making ends meet as a craftsmen in a rural area- without easy access to markets, without infrastructure, and competing with mass produced goods made in factories (and those prices). How does a craftsman survive without a marketing firm or a design firm helping them with their business?
Below are a few pics of the amazing art I saw there (can you believe these are sketched by hand on Tussar silk?)
And here is the talent behind these paintings: Jayanta Kumar Meher
Also visit the first 2 stalls as soon as you enter on the left. The first one is Eswarudu's Kalamkari stall. Okay, I admit I might have walked away with some of his best fabric pieces on the first day, but he has a lot of fabulous wall hangings and sarees and fabrics left. He's a very interesting person too, with a long history in Kalamkari and natural dyes.
I just had to share his business card with you. I love the instruction below the email ID (Mr. Eswarudu doesn't have access to email in Machilipatnam, so he calls his son in Bangalore to check email, and he communicates the emails via phone)!
The second stall is owned by 3 brothers who run an Ikat weaving business. They are one of Brass Tacks' core suppliers and they've brought their amazing Telia Rumal collection of cotton sarees and dupattas with them.
The exhibition is on at the Valluvar Kottam Exhibition hall, from 10am to 7pm, until October 2nd.
But forget about the presentation for an hour: if you like crafts, you've got to go there! Here is an opportunity to meet some of the craftsmen who don't get to make it to the annual event at Chola Sheraton. I saw cool archery equipment, drums, art, crockery, masks, and of course my true love: textiles! As I walked around taking in all the crafts, the environment made me feel a bit melancholy too. It must be tough making ends meet as a craftsmen in a rural area- without easy access to markets, without infrastructure, and competing with mass produced goods made in factories (and those prices). How does a craftsman survive without a marketing firm or a design firm helping them with their business?
Below are a few pics of the amazing art I saw there (can you believe these are sketched by hand on Tussar silk?)
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Also visit the first 2 stalls as soon as you enter on the left. The first one is Eswarudu's Kalamkari stall. Okay, I admit I might have walked away with some of his best fabric pieces on the first day, but he has a lot of fabulous wall hangings and sarees and fabrics left. He's a very interesting person too, with a long history in Kalamkari and natural dyes.
I just had to share his business card with you. I love the instruction below the email ID (Mr. Eswarudu doesn't have access to email in Machilipatnam, so he calls his son in Bangalore to check email, and he communicates the emails via phone)!
The second stall is owned by 3 brothers who run an Ikat weaving business. They are one of Brass Tacks' core suppliers and they've brought their amazing Telia Rumal collection of cotton sarees and dupattas with them.
The exhibition is on at the Valluvar Kottam Exhibition hall, from 10am to 7pm, until October 2nd.
8 comments:
talk about craftsmen. my extended relatives- they draw in charcoal. none of them can earn a living doing their craft. Also weavers turned merchants and engineers and statisticians in this generation. Only a jewellery maker stayed true to what he can do --now he is no more.
if they would not have picked up "surviving skills" they would have died of starvation.
manifestation of the survival theory at its best
i have a picture on my blog, where the artist sits on the street and does the "kalamkari"
I guess the only way to go forward is to constantly innovate. That's the thing with access to internet, and access to the entire world really: people's choices are so much more and unless craftsmen double up as brand builders (of themselves and their crafts), it's hard to sustain their business.
Who can blame the weavers- each person does what he can to earn a living, right? Tailors are also turning into auto drivers, government peons, and anything that pays better. I could write a whole blog post about how it's so hard to make ends meet in urban India. There are very few support systems available even if you're wealthy, so the way families function is they depend on the woman to stay at home. How does a man earn a living for a family of 4 (him+ wife+ 2 kids), in a city where the rents and petrol prices are crazy high, unless he earns upwards of at least Rs 10k per month?
i think schools should open channels where students can learn the many crafts, so at least the craft continues, and those who find an interest in it can continue. not that i think our schools would do it. if one brainstorms we can come up with many avenues.
my tailors sons also do not want to continue in the craft, though they hesitatingly support their father as of now.
will you recommend chenetha gurukulam in pochampally to learn weaving?
I have obviously missed the exhibition ( entirely my loss!). I find it sad that Chennai as a city does not really respect traditional art and craft forms. For e.g I think the "chungdi" saree is becoming obsolete. AP is probably the only southern state that is trying to keep these craft traditions alive.Somewhere along the way if Tamilians would spend less on gold and more on traditional fabrics then there would be so much impetus to these artisans! ( good blog BTW :))
Indian Yarn: So sorry for the late reply. I wish I was a better resource, but I've never heard of Chenetha Gurukulam before. I can ask around though.
Meera: Thanks for writing! Consider joining the Crafts Council page on Facebook- that would keep you in the loop of all their exhibitions.
You've mention such informative factors that cannot be ignored. Keep writing informative contents and thanks for sharing!
I think even with the advancement in technology, we really need to teach children the "olden" crafts. This will teach them values not seen with modern technology.
I think even with the advancement in technology we really needed to teach children the "olden" crafts. such is wonderful avenue for them to learn values not present with the presence of technology.
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