Kinnal art goes global

A brightly-coloured figurine of a woman.  

A Kinnal artisan handpaints intricate designs on a new product.  

A golden figurine, painted using metallic colours. Photo by Santosh Chitragar

Idols of various sizes designed by Kinnal artisans.  

In Kinnal, a small village 13 km from Koppal, an ancient craft of the Vijayanagara Empire is starting to see national and even international interest.

Until a few years ago, the heritage woodcraft had been dying out, with younger artisans not showing much interest in continuing it. However, recent efforts by individuals and organisations are helping revive the craft.

Chitragar families in Kinnal traditionally make colourful idols, dolls, animal figurines and masks. Over centuries, the art was passed down from one generation to another, with artisans following the same process and using similar materials.

To give it a contemporary touch, many artisans are now handcrafting utility-based items like jewellery boxes, mirrors, keychain holders, lamps, nameplates, wall clocks, flower vases and traditional board games.

Organisations like Laghu Udyog Bharati are collaborating with artisans in experiments to develop activity-based toys and movement toys for children.

30-year-old Santosh Kumar Chitragar, who comes from a family of artisans, is one of the people taking the art to a new level.

The artisan, who has a Master’s degree in fine arts, began promoting the pieces on Instagram and other social media sites. Santosh now sends Kinnal artefacts to more than eight countries. He also has an online store, where he displays the work of various artisans from Kinnal.

Santosh also works with art galleries in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other cities. He works to provide customised artwork without disturbing the essence of the art.

Kinnal art received a geographical indication (GI) tag in 2012. “We first got GI authorisation certificates for around 54 artisans. This helped them gain confidence,” explains Santosh.

This was furthered by the efforts of NGOs and village handicraft organisations across the state. Their work in commissioning and marketing products brought hopes of a revival among the artisans.

Training artisans

Currently, Kinnal has 67 families of Chitragars, but only about 25 are actively pursuing the craft. Women, who earlier used to help only in preliminary processes at home, are being trained to take the centre stage.

In order to draw others to participate in keeping this heritage craft alive, the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts is focused on innovations in designs. The council has organised workshops to train artisans in creating newer designs.

Further, traditional designs are also being modified slightly. The height of idols was reduced to make it convenient for buyers to carry them around easily.

Modern designs and handheld equipment have changed the game, says Ramu Chitragar, an artisan. “Earlier, Kinnal art was restricted to making religious idols. But now, it has become part of interior design due to its brilliant make and colour,” says the 29-year-old. Guidance from designers at the workshops has been helping artisans understand the modern taste, he adds.

The toy cluster coming up at Kinnal is not directly linked to the traditional doll industry. However, the companies are supporting these artisans as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. This includes helping artisans market their products and linking them to global toy companies.

Innovation

Convincing artisans to think beyond traditional Kinnal articles was the toughest task. “An art can survive only if it reaches people and we can reach people by catering to customised needs,” says Santosh.

The art of making these wooden articles is tedious and time-consuming. Shrinivas Vasudevappa Chitragar, a teacher and author from Koppal, who has extensively researched the art, attributes this to why youth were not interested in taking it up. With the articles fetching good prices, they are now returning.

Artisans in the village echo the need to ensure a supply of wood for the art. To further the reaches of the art form, artisans also say, a showroom in Koppal and other cities would help.