Platform for unusual artisans

Sampoorn, a non-profit art service organisation, that encourages handicraft, artifacts and other art forms, is organising Sampoorn Handicrafts Festival 2009 till June 29 at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Kumarakrupa Road. The festival is open between
10 am and 7.30 pm.

Sampoorn has a meaningful objective of bringing artisans from the length and breadth of the country under one roof to showcase their skills. More than 125 artisans from as far as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarkhand, Rajasthan, Orissa, Gujarat, Manipur, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will not only display their work but also provide live demonstration of what it takes to make them.

According to Sampoorn’s Chief Secretary and event organiser Shalini Sudarshan, “The ten-day craft festival is a conglomeration of language, culture and skilled artisans. The festival will also serve as a marketing platform for the artists to directly market their products to the end customers.”

Artists, national and international craftsman, art associations and organisations will be participating in the festival.

 The essence of rural India will be the centre of attraction. According to Kailash Sudarshan of Sampoorn, “The art festival brings arts with a chaste taste. These art festivals provide a platform for artisans to interact with end customers and directly sell their original piece of work. This also helps the artisans and art organisations to get a glimpse of the customers taste and work in that direction in the future. Going by our past experience, we expect around 4,000 visitors to this festival.”

Manipur’s Long Pi Pottery, oak wood silks from Jharkhand, art depicting epics from West Bengal, fabrics of Gujarat, Pateena crafts from Delhi, bamboo crafts and grass art forms from Kerala, pottery from Jaipur, Dokra from West Bengal, Marble from Uttar Pradesh and Thanjavur art forms, handloom products, furniture and jewellery, and other environment-friendly products from various other states would be on display.

 The festival venue is Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Kumarakrupa Road.