Unveiling a new and native beauty

Artisans and designers at Craftepreneur dip into age-old practices to fuse forms, textures, styles and techniques in a contemporary vocabulary

February 16, 2017 06:10 pm | Updated 06:11 pm IST

The Revival Project, Mumbai

USP: Saris, reimagined

Preeti Raja grew up admiring the saris worn by her mother and grandmother and hoped to wear them “later”. “That never happened. I realised that while I love the patterns, I never wore them on an everyday basis,” says Raja, who used to be a banker before she delved into design.

And so, every dress she designs has a ‘sari’ behind it. Paalum Pazhamum saris in cotton and silk take on the avatar of dresses, jackets and trousers, cotton saris and veshtis from Tamil Nadu, a region she’s familiar with, turn into style statements perfect for an evening out.

“I did wonder if people would find the colours too flashy,” she says, showing a mustard-and-maroon checked dress. “But, they loved it.”

Raja works with weavers directly, and hopes to continue her saga with the sari.

Price : ₹1,800 to ₹12,000

Eclectic Elan, Kashmir

USP: Fusion craft

Uzma Showkat grew up in Srinagar, surrounded by an uneasy calm, but also beauty in every form. She was fascinated by the intricate wooden lattice designs and the unique geometric khatamband ceilings, handloom and handicraft traditions. Years later, after she finished post-graduation at National Institute of Design, Showkat tapped into those childhood memories to come up with a line intrinsically Kashmiri, but with a cosmopolitan outlook.

Eclectic Elan fuses willow and papier mâché and walnut wood and polished brass for a line of wall hangings, trays, fridge magnets, laundry baskets…

“If used traditionally, there’s only so much you can do with papier mâché. This brings it to new spaces.”

A lot of research went into the enterprise. “It takes skill to fuse wood and paper. Working in the winter means longer drying periods.” But, the result is stunning — such as a fruit tray with a papier mâché base of a vibrant kingfisher ready to take flight.

Price : ₹150 to ₹4,500

Manas, Kolkata

USP: Revival of old designs

Khadi teams up with gamcha patterns, kantha stitches work around a patch of Lambani embroidery, and bronze beads and figurines work their magic in striking jewellery with enamel work.

This is what Manas Ghorai has brought to the show. He also dabbles with revival of the Tagore style of saris.

Price : ₹1,200 to ₹3,000 (jewellery), ₹2,000 to ₹7,500 (saris)

The Design Forge and Taru, Delhi and Gujarat

USP: Wood-metal craft

Wooden bowls with metal flowers blooming out of them, an entire garden in a brass uruli, metal tealight holders… the fusion of wood and metal is sublime. Rupali Tiwari and Abriti Mukherjee work out of different cities, but create works seamless in style.

The wood comes from Gujarat, it’s usually sevan or gamar, which are good for carving and termite-resistant. They also fire the wood; it lends it texture and colour gradation.

Price: ₹250 to ₹24,000

Ochre Ceramics, Anand

USP: Ceramicware

Self-taught potter Titas Ganguly works with NID alumnus Kavita Pandya Ganguly, to create ceramic platters with animal themes, fridge magnets, planters, jewellery and wind chimes that tinkle with the sound of spring.

The works are intricate and feature the Japanese Nerikomi technique, where patterns are created using coloured clay. “This is difficult to master, but the effect is striking,” says Titas. And so, in a magnet shaped like a tree, the leaves and branches are contiguous on either side. The duo works with villagers who don’t have a pottery background, to create these works of art.

Price: ₹150 to ₹2,500

Also check out

HIIH: A range of home décor products that feature a mix of Japanese aesthetics and Indian values, materials and techniques.

The Retyrement Plan: Tyres, plastic wrappers and tailoring waste transform into well-designed furniture and chains.

Fayakun Design Studio: Its ‘Nambu’ line from Ladakh features naturally-dyed fabric made into jackets and dresses.

Pomegranate Fabrics: Rugs created in interior Tamil Nadu boast a modern look with the use of block prints and dyeing.

Punarnawa: This collective works with groups in Odisha, Jharkhand and the Northeastern states. The range includes coin purses, ikat saris, tribal jewellery and dolls with crochet work.

Neon: Garments for children, dohars and dresses with block prints done using AZO-free dyes.

Hana Abu Zahra: Jordanian embroidery in contemporary products.

What’s Craftepreneur?

The third edition of the event, presented by The Crafts Council of India, features re-imagined handicrafts and handmade textiles created by young designers, and some groups working with craftspersons. It focuses on entrepreneurs who have used an existing craft and lent it newness, through design and form. CCI says the intention is to place handmade in a modern-day context.

Lalit Kala Akademi, Greams Road

When: Till February 18; 10 am to 7 pm

Who’s there?

The show features 22 craftepreneurs from across the country who dabble in a range of fields — crafts, textiles, décor, jewellery, home accents, and more.

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