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Trip through crafts heritage

The Paramparik Karigars are back with their annual show

COMMITTED TO CRAFTS The book on Paramparik Karigar and one of the works on display

You just can't be snotty about traditional arts and crafts anymore. Thanks to organisations such as Paramparik Karigar (currently holding an exhibition at the Lalit Kala Akademi), they've come a long way, rivalling products hung in posh galleries and ritzy boutiques, with ethnic tribal paintings and a kaleidoscope of painstakingly worked saris and dupattas.

India's art and craft, of course, have always been outstanding. However, since it brought artisans so little money, traditional knowledge began to be threatened, as craftsmen persuaded their children to move to the city for more `lucrative' jobs.

Besides, when it came to export, or even selling their work in the big cities, traditional work didn't always make the cut, because quality fluctuated wildly, and what worked in the villages wasn't necessarily hip at kitty parties.

Which is where an organisation like Paramparik Karigar comes in.

Preserving the arts

A non-governmental organisation, founded by eight master craftsmen in 1982, with the patronage of the late Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, it aims to preserve and promote the arts and crafts of India. Where they have been especially successful is in teaching craftspeople the importance of presentation and quality control in today's demanding market.

They also introduce them to technology — there are artisans now working with computer graphics — and organise workshops with designers and artists.

Acting as an intermediary between the craft person in the village and his urbane credit card flashing customers, the organisation has managed to showcase work that fits into all kinds of homes. Simultaneously they educate the customers about traditions and their value. And wipe out that middleman in the bargain. (Though, by keeping the prices reasonable, they do get beset by sneaky boutique owners who buy in bulk during exhibitions and then just double the price tags when they resell.)

As a result, the organisers even say that they have begun to see a reverse migration, where craftspeople return to and remain in their villages, secure in the knowledge that they have a reliable avenue to sell their goods, and can thus make a comfortable living.

At the launch of Paramparik Karigar, a book written by five master craftspersons on kalamkari, mittikaam, gadwakam, mithila and tana bana, Apurva Varma, general manager, The Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation of India Limited (a government of India undertaking under the Ministry of Textiles), said that it's time Indian handicrafts are put on an international map.

Adding that the margins are enormous, ("If you get the right buyer you can sell it for Rs. 10,000!"), he offered to work with Paramparik Karigar, identifying buyers.

The Chennai exhibition, which began with a Kaliyattam performance from North Malabar, included a panel discussion and lectures on art and craft.

The exhibition, on till March 5 at the Lalit Kala Akademi between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., houses 38 different kinds of crafts from different parts of the country, including intricate palm leaf etching, mithila paintings from Bihar and Bagru prints from Rajasthan. There are also bright wooden toys from Karnataka and Paithani saris from Maharashtra.

SHONALI MUTHALALY

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