The 4th edition of India Craft Week is a journey to bring together Indian creators of rare arts and crafts and connoisseurs from across the globe.
The fourth edition of India Craft Week is a journey in continuity bringing together Indian creators of rare arts and crafts and connoisseurs from across the globe.
It is not often to see or buy a signature lacquered art product created by Padma Shri awardee Abdul Ghafoor Khatri. Rogan, exquisite ancient Persian art is exclusive to his family in the village of Nirona in Kutch, Gujarat, and can only be bought directly from him. For instance, you won’t find a rogan saree that bears the brilliance of Gafoor, which won her a national award in 2019 at a fair or market.
Now in Delhi to attend the fourth chapter of India Craft Week (ICW) supported by the World Crafts Council, Ghafoor says, “Our drawing is our heritage.” It is larger than previous years in terms of venue size, participation and unique classes added to the event.
Iti Tyagi, Founder, ICW says, “The craft sector needs a pivotal shift from ‘not for profit’ to ‘for profit’, given the excellent work of our master artisans.” “It aims to bring out rural talent and connect with modern and global consumers to gain trade and international projects for our traditional handicraft works,” she adds.
Abdul Ghafoor Khatri, the promoter of Rogan art in his village Nirona in Kutch district. photo credit: special arrangement
Gafoor has participated in ICW since its inception in 2018 and is among 75 artists and 50 craftsmen who participated this year. He says that the platform gives him an opportunity to showcase rogan cloth art to a large audience that appreciates the art.
The art of thickening is done using a thick glossy paint on poplin cotton or silk that is made by heating castor oil and mixing the residue with cold water until it thickens into a sticky paste called thickener. Natural vegetable coloring pigments are added to it. Elaborate designs are created freehand by backing thread-like strands of paint with a stylus. When half of a design is painted, the fabric is folded in half to transfer the mirror image to one half of the fabric.
Floral motifs, animals and local folk art led to designs that flowed from the imagination. “It is the artist’s imagination on the fabric. There is no tracing or sketching and no drawings are mentioned,” says Ghafoor, who is credited with the revival of the art in the early eighties, five decades earlier His village had faced extinction in the wake of successive years of drought. He has been instrumental in training and arousing interest in his village to revive Rogan art. His ten, including his son, who is the eighth generation Relatives also follow art.
Khwaja Nazir Ali, Sojini Craftsman | photo credit: special arrangement
J&K State Award winner Khwaja Nazir Ali from Srinagar is the fourth generation master craftsman of the 500-year-old Sojni embroidery. It took him seven years to complete one of his most spectacular creations, a pashmina shawl with silk thread embroidery on both sides. It was like a meditation, he says. The popular needle-point technique is one of the rarest embroidery forms with which craftsmen create stunning creations.
“At ICW, we display distinctive and original crafts. It is a vibrant meeting place with craft-loving people who really appreciate our skills and the beauty and value of our products,” he says.
Rajendra Baghel Dhokra Artisan of Chhattisgarh in ICW | photo credit: special arrangement
National award winner of Dhokra sculptures made in non-ferrous metal casting, Rajendra Baghel of Kondagaon, Bastar, Chhattisgarh is another regular participant in ICW. The products of Dhokra artisans are in great demand in domestic and foreign markets, they say, because of its simplicity, attractive folk motifs and powerful forms. His caskets of dhokra horses, elephants, peacocks, owls, religious images, measuring bowls and lamps have earned him name and fame. He has trained more than 200 people in his village to survive and develop the craft. ICW is an invigorating experience for visitors when they come in search of original and authentic arts and crafts works. It has also given them the opportunity to take their exhibition to USA, Russia, England, Scotland.
Ceramic Art by National Award Winner Shailesh Pandit from Mumbai, at ICW | photo credit: special arrangement
Somesh Singh- Co-Founder, Craft Village, a social organization based in Delhi, which runs ICW, says, “Many things have changed post-COVID and our master craftsmen are empowered to look forward to the future without losing the true essence of their craft. Have to be ready. They are the mirror of our cultural identity. Through our curated experiences, we envision creating a cohesive ecosystem by engaging master craftsmen, craft entrepreneurs and consumers in a dialogue and redefining traditional businesses. ,
India Craft Week 2022 at NSIC Ground, Okhla is on till 24 October; 11 am to 6 pm