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Hand to pocket?
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Advantage Nature Private Limited organises an exhibition to help artisans
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SKILLED An artisan chisels designs on a printing block
They craft the entity called India, full of colours, bubbling with variety. Yet the artisans who make these exquisite works are often hand to mouth, wondering where the next meal will come from. Thinking along these lines made Rajiv Rai Sachdev of Advantage Nature Private Limited organise an exhibition of handicrafts and textiles from across the country the other day.
Jaya Jaitley, well known for championing the cause of Indian crafts and craftspersons, inaugurated the exhibition. Called Advantage Shilpi, the exhibition has brought together traditional hand-woven saris, Vidarbha silks, kantha tussar and bagh prints under one roof. Contemporary silhouettes like skirts and kurtis are also on display. The Sanganeri prints and daboo block printing are the most eye-catching, but the amazing jute and handmade paper works also stop you in your tracks.
A wide range of shirts and cloth pieces made of organic cotton is also on display. Besides, there are conventional furnishings like bedcovers, pillow covers, cushion covers, tablecloths, and curtains made with block-printed fabrics.
The precious stones and beaded jewellery from Jaipur are really trendy and pocket-friendly.
A platform
"We made this platform for poor artisans and craftsmen of our country. Earlier, there were no brand or trademark benefits and they were all exploited by middlemen," says Brij Ballab Udaiwal, a block-printing artist and a recipient of the National Award in 1991. He stresses that these eco-friendly textiles are made from natural dyes like indigo, turmeric, various roots, pomegranate skin, lac, iron, fruit peels and leaves. Natural dyes along with natural fabrics like cotton, silk and wool give you a soft, comfortable feel and are good for sensitive skin too.
Udaiwal, who has done admirable work in improving the techniques related to block printing, says it was during the course of his work that he met Rai, who too was concerned that the traditional fabrics should not lose out to technology-based textiles made in mills, and started working for the betterment of artisans. "While researching on natural life, I went to various places like Jaipur and Sanganer, where artisans live a very pathetic life. To provide them better connectivity to the market we undertook this venture."
The exhibition is on at B-5, Lower Ground, East of Kailash till this coming Sunday from 11am to 7pm.
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