From pottery to pickles, the 15th edition of the artisans’ market, ‘By Hand, From the Heart’, had a lot to offer this time around. Several young entrepreneurs showcased their wares innovatively at the Hanu Reddy Residences on Friday and Saturday.
Deepa Sekar, one of the organisers, said that they had a different concept for this edition.
“While curating the artisans, we asked them to tell us how they would present their products at the market. We then sourced the required material to help them do up their stalls,” she explained, pointing to the display by Eco Crafts and Weaves — an antique desk with drawers, strung with upcycled drawstring purses, bags and decorative pieces.
And so it was at all the stalls: dupattas hung dramatically from the walls, polka-dotted watering cans adorned a table and framed artwork was displayed outside the building. Several eye-catching jackets by Kalaborate and crochet skirts by CRAFTionate were also on display, along with terracotta jewellery by Anika and chokers made of safety pins by Neelayadakshi.
While feasting on refreshing lemon and mango ice creams from Old Mercara, one could walk down to the Madras Motif stall to check out their beautiful handcrafted bags, pencil rolls and pouches. Inside, Nina Prabhu of Uniquities from Kovai, showcased her hand-painted saris.
“I give each of the saris a different name as each piece is unique. I myself would get bored of painting the same type of sari and the same design,” she said, adding that each sari takes her about a week to complete, if she works eight to 10 hours a day. Edible spoons by Nammaboomi, hand-block printed T-shirts by Hastha, gift hampers by Suave Hamper, fresh greens from Nalla Keerai, Madras curry powder by Lalah’s and textile game boards by Pachisi were also on display.
For those with a green thumb, Sorrel Gardens had miniature terrariums and plant decor.
