Keeping craft alive

Fri, May 2 12:30 AM

There are some people who believe that they have a larger calling in life and are willing to give up everything to fulfill that. Samira Awasthi, textile designer, is one such person.

She has been running a Delhi-based NGO, Aadhaar, for the last five years in an attempt to develop traditional handlooms and handicrafts. Aadhar works with craftsmen from all over the country, modernising styles and designs in an effort to revive traditional Indian crafts.

New in the offing An exhibition of Awasthi's most recent collection, Weaves and Prints from Rural India: Varanasi Brocades and amp; Cutworks and Bhairavgarh Batiks, currently on in the city, showcases the intricate originality of rural Indian handloom craft. "I went and lived in Varanasi for a while and that's when I realised how dire the circumstances were for local craftsmen," says Awasthi as she explains how Batik makers were leaving villages to look for jobs in cities.

"I run a cluster program with artisans for the Ministry of Textile," she says reminiscing about her decision to leave the corporate sector and work "for a good cause". She informs us that the story of her life inspired filmmaker Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra to make a movie.

"He always wanted to make a film about rural artists, and when he heard my life story he decided that I would have to be the protagonist. So I'm co-writing the script and filling in parts of my life into the narrative," she says.

"We're offering a new look brocade for people of all age groups. Once people wear handloom they will realise how valuable it is.

" The handcrafted brocade silks cost upwards of Rs 10,000. Does all the money go back to the craftsmen? "Yes, it is all theirs.

The whole idea is to sustain the craft, if they don't get the money the purpose is lost." Around Diwali, FabIndia is slated to buy some of their designs, something that will give these artists a sustainable source of income.

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