The Artisan, an off-shoot of the Sabha of Ali Shah, founded in 1860, organized a rare felicitation event, the Karigar-e-Zaman, to shine a light on the invisible hands and little-known faces behind masterpieces created over decades in Kashmir.
The Artisan, an off-shoot of the Sabha of Ali Shah, founded in 1860, organized a rare felicitation event, the Karigar-e-Zaman, to shine a light on the invisible hands and little-known faces behind masterpieces created over decades in Kashmir.
To put a spotlight on the master artisans of Kashmir who are otherwise living in oblivion, a rare initiative has been launched by the leading craft house of the Valley to allow these artisans to talk about their lives and stories, struggles and achievements .
For the first time in the creation of Aslam Ahmed’s 50-year-old Sozni artwork, he was allowed to share his family’s story on Sunday at Artisan, an arts and cultural center located in the Kunjar area of north Kashmir. “My family has been associated with the craft sector for centuries. We continue to hone the skills,” Mr Ahmed said.
Similarly, Nazir Ahmed, a carpet weaver from Rainwari, Srinagar, enthralled the audience through his journey of carpet weaving that began as a Class 2 student.
The Artisan, an off-shoot of Ali Shah’s house established in 1860, organized a rare felicitation event, the Karigar-e-Zaman (Master Craftsman), to shine the spotlight on the invisible hands and the little-known faces behind the masterpieces created. in Kashmir for decades
“Karigar-e-Zaman is an effort to celebrate master artisans and their contribution. It is to recognize unsung heroes. His congratulations are a new dawn and a new success story for the art of Kashmir. This will be a continuous exercise. We have also decided to give stipends to women artisans who will teach women about the world famous craft,” Artisen co-founder Mehboob Iqbal Shah told The Hindu.
Dr. Javid Ahmed Wani, Director NIFT, Srinagar; Mahmood Shah, Director, Handicrafts & Handlooms and Salim Baig, Convener Head INTACH&K.
“It is rare to see artisans and marketing teams sitting next to each other in Kashmir. Greeting skilled craftsmen is a good start. “The world needs to know how these artisans view these crafts on the lines of ibadat (prayer),” said Salim Baig, convener of the Kashmir chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
Mehmood Shah, Director, Handicrafts and Handlooms, said the industry needs to celebrate the achievements of many such unsung heroes. “Such incentives are the need of the hour. The handicrafts department is also reviving craft tourism to take the artisans closer to the buyers. Geographical Indication (GI) tagging has come a long way in maintaining a line of quality. It has also revived the confidence of the buyers,” Mr Shah.
Meanwhile, NIFT Director Javed Wani said how the institute has decided to have a special admission quota for the children of Kashmiri artisans. “NIFT provides fifty to 100% scholarship and fee waiver to the children of artisans who intend to pursue the course,” he said.
Mr. Wani said that the artisans in Kashmir are suffering from low remuneration and low respect. “Such an honor will help restore the dignity of these craftsmen,” he said.