Artisans in the country have had one of the toughest times since the pandemic. A majority of their stocks are yet to be sold and they could barely make a living. Many exhibitions were also cancelled, adding to the list of worries the artisans already go through.
In order to support artisans and help rejuvenate the craft sector, the inaugural Mudita Makers Market is taking place at Bangalore International Centre this week. This is done in association with Creative Dignity’s initiative for offline events called Artisan Direct. With a total of 20 stalls, artisans from Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bengal and Gujarat will be showcasing their textiles and artefacts.
Oriole Henry, one of the volunteers who put together the event, says that this initiative is to help the artisans finish their backlog of items from last year. “The exhibition is a way for artisans to make business relationships with other designers and marketers in the country. We’re also helping them set up their online stores so that they can sell their items throughout the year and also make offline connections through this,” she explains.
With a focus to celebrate India’s textiles, paintings, durries and embroidery work, the BIC space is also set to be decorated in a grand manner. Henry explains, “We want to not just showcase the different artisanal products but also display their hard work.” From Karnataka, there will be interesting banana fibre bags, Siddi quilts, Navalgund durries and handmade bags and baskets using sustainable resources.
Visitors can dive into a sea of fabric with block printing from Ajark, fifty-two motifs of Baavanbuti weavers of Bihar, soft Bengal muslin, woollen Kullu shawls and more. “We’re also promoting a ‘go green’ initiative which will include sustainable products like naturally-dyed indigenous cotton, Himalayan organic rajma, wild honey and hemp shoes,” she says.
One of the interesting artisans visiting is Rajiben Vankar from Gujarat who upcycles products from waste plastic. “We’re actually asking visitors to bring maybe a plastic item so they can see for themselves how Vankar converts that into a fabric. This fabric is then used to make bags, baskets etc,” adds Henry. The event has been funded by Balaji’s Antiques and Collectibles and individuals. The artisans will receive 100 per cent of all the sales directly with no fees to the organisers.
“This event is not just a one-off event where we help the artisans and move to the next problem. We want this to be an on-going relationship and also a space for them to be able to build their business using online and offline means. We’re promoting all their work on our social media handle, and hopefully, this exhibition will only continue to grow their business,” says Henry.
Mudita Makers Market will be held at Bangalore International Centre on October 21-23, 10 am to 7 pm. Entry is free.