From papads, pickles to clay and paper jewellery, embroidered saris and Thanjavur paintings each hand crafted product at Women’s Craft Bazaar reflects the creative and entrepreneurial skills of women. Singly or working with SHGs and rural societies the women entrepreneurs are drawn from varied strata of society. Yet each has learnt a craft and many have given an innovative and ingenious twist to products crafted out of paper, cloth, mud, grass, fibre and other natural elements.
Says Nanditha Krishna of the C.P. Arts Centre, “We offer a platform for the creativity of these women, many of whom are from BPL households. We hold the Bazaar annually to showcase their products.”
Wide range “Small is beautiful,” seems to be the motto of many of the creative craft expressions and enterprises. Tasty papads with a zing, mouth watering homemade chocolates highlight the skills of the traditional homemakers while women such as Jyoti Buddhia of RISTA (Rural Indian Social and Traditional Artefacts) have tapped Odisha’s rural artisans Self Help Groups to present a range of Sabai grass, golden grass and bamboo products crafted by the ladies. “I went into the country side and saw women plucking bunches of grass and make incredible products out of them. I was inspired. Today I work with three self help women groups with my design inputs.” Her exhibits include colourful Sabai grass trays, table mats, runners and boxes attractive magazine racks and lamps all hand woven and crafted by rural women. Delicately woven bamboo fruit bowls and golden grass artefacts bring in fresh eco-friendly perspectives to her collection. Jayashri, the one time analyst with McKinsey and an online teacher of B.Com and MBA students hand crafts amazing quilled paper and clay jewellery. The designer gets moulds made in silicon and aluminium and uses clay dough balls on the mould to get the shapes of her jewellery forms. Her beautifully painted pendants featuring peacocks in different shades of blue, lovely turbaned human faces and birds are must haves for the young including a pink and white quilled paper necklace, arresting yellow and orange necklace sets, jhumkis, etc.
Magha presents paper quilled jewellery, gift boxes, bags and pretty magnets. Sundari’s handmade dolls and clay bracelets, Rukmini Jayaram’s Thanjavur paintaings with Kathakali faces and a variety of yardage, are on offer. Jute bags, hand woven and hand embroidered saris in the middle range and blouse pieces make for attractive shopping options and for quick fixing of your wardrobe there are lady tailors from the NGO ‘Naam,’ who are on the spot to take orders.
The Women’s Craft Bazaar is on at C.P. Arts Centre (all three halls), 1 Eldams Road, Alwarpet, till March 10.
