Woven mats as fine as silk, hand-painted cotton saris that speak of a hoary craft tradition, fine embroidery created high in the hills of the Nilgiris, terracotta artefacts, bric-a-brac and utensils in stone, temple jewellery that is contemporary while speaking of the tradition it springs from — the Crafts Council of India’s Marumalarchi project is not just about reviving these once-popular crafts, but also keeping them relevant in a changing world. The ongoing exhibition at Kamala, the CCI’s store in Egmore, is also a great way to be aware of the stories behind the creations, and why it is vital to ensure they continue to find a place in the hearts of future generations.
Hand-painted saris
Sikkalnayakanpet
For centuries now, the calcium-rich waters of the Kollidam have lent the artistic creations from Sikkalnayakanpet their unique sheen. A branch of the Kalamkari tradition, the painted murals, bed linen and hand-painted saris of this village have wowed connoisseurs for long. The village was a pet project of craft revivalist the late Martand Singh, and it hosted him more than five times, as he helped craftspersons come up with new ways to keep alive their art form. And now, Visalakshi Ramaswamy, known for her work with the M Rm Rm Cultural Foundation, has done the same for CCI. “It takes effort to keep pushing them to try something new. But, it is necessary to keep this craft from fading,” she says, opening out a sari to show you why it’s a treasure.
E Rajmohan, a trained artist, who also took time off to study at a film institute, is now back keeping alive the family craft story. He remembers routinely helping his parents as a child. “Soon after Martand Singh sir came, we flourished. He nudged us out of our comfort zone and backed us. Till about 1995, we exported majorly to The Netherlands; they loved our bed linen.”
About 70 saris crafted by Rajmohan and others in the Karupur Kalamkari Art Foundation, have been displayed at Kamala. “This is a craft form that’s not taught but picked up,” he says. The saris bear jewel tones in mustard, black and red. “What we’ve achieved is about 10% of my father, the late Emperumal’s, mastery.” The art calls for great skill sets. “We have to be fast, yet do a thorough job so that the colour depth is constant,” says Rajmohan, who is also working to get people to work on small murals and interiors. “Who has the time or space for huge murals?” But what gratifies Rajmohan is the ability that college students from Mayilaaduthurai display. “They hail from a different background, yet do this so well. Local women have been trained in the craft,” he adds. He hopes that, someday, Sikkalnayakanpet will not be looked at as a rarity, but a commonly seen art form.
Artisticmats
Pattamadai
For 30 of her 55 years, Zeenat Sulehal Bibi (in photo) has been weaving gossamer-fine Pattamadai mats. She remembers how, as a child, the family tradition introduced itself to her. She began helping by slicing the reed that lends the Pattamadai mats a distinct look. “We began by slicing it into two, then four, then eight, till we managed to produce fine strands,” she says. Some years later, she dabbled in creating the dyes that coloured the reeds in brilliant hues. All this, by watching her family work on the reeds. “We weave mats in different counts. We do a 53-count mat in about four days, a 120-count mat in about 15 days… luckily, we’ve never fallen out of the public gaze. The demand has always been there,” says Bibi. She continues: “I would keep watching my father and other relatives work on the reed ( korai ) to render it pliable. Today, my daughters and grandchildren are invested in what we do.” The teaching, of course, continues unabated. So does carrying forward the family’s artistry.
Terracotta figurines
Malaiyur, Pudukkotai
As a child, R Meyyar had an important task at hand other than studying and playing. He would help his father, a terracotta artisan, collect wet earth from two places — the local tank and a field. After piling the mud into two chattis , he would carry them on his head back home. His father would mix them with paddy husk and create beautiful figurines out of them. Of late, Meyyar has been specialising in Ayyanar temple horses, Garuda fugurines, and more. “My father even travelled to countries such as Japan, Australia, Greece and Taiwan to popularise his craft.”
Every day, Meyyar works from dawn to nearly dusk to create terracotta figurines and statues that go on to decorate local temples. “In the village, we work as a collective unit, and are busiest during village festivals. What we have learnt is that our skills can be adapted to create anything new. The method is the same, it’s just the form that is different. And, if the method has to survive, we must absorb new influences and forms.”
Cast in stone
Namakkal
Inside Kamala is a line of traditional stone cutlery and stone carvings from near Namakkal. Jayasri Samyukta, executive committee member, CCI, who coordinated this revival, says, “These artisans have been making kitchen equipment in stone for years. We encouraged them to create something contemporary. It took effort, but the result is stunning.” Which is how you have earthy granite bowls that are perfect to serve a colourful salad, or plates that will showcase cheese well. “We worked to see what kind of stoneware people were using. We wanted to create a line, including Tagines, that is useful for modern-day table settings,” she says.
Since it’s been a while since stone was the predominant material in the kitchen, queries do arise regarding maintenance. To tackle these, pick up an instruction sheet that tells you how to temper stoneware and maintain them.
