P Gopalakrishnan, one of the founder president’s of CCTN, curated Thambaalam, an exhibition that was inaugurated on the occasion of Crafts Council India’s conference in the city. The work began in July last year, he said “There were 75 plates, trays and salvers we sourced from private collection and we commissioned 120 more from artisans from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The oldest display is the silver tray that was made in the 1850s in Madras as a farewell gift to a British Officer. It found its way to a private collection and we managed to borrow it for this exhibition,” he said.
The exhibition reiterated the importance of design intervention and making relevant traditional craft, said Gopalakrishnan and gave the example of P Thirupathi whose stone plates grace the exhibition. Tirupathi comes from a family that makes kalchettis used for cooking, but, for Thambaalam, he came up with such exquisite plates. Someone saw it at Tambaalam and has ordered six pieces! This is how craft will continue to survive.”
Craftspeople from across the country were asked to imagine, design and execute those salvers and trays. “They have sent in their beauties from Hoshiyarpur, Kanyamukari, Nagercoil, Madhubani, Bastar, Bidar, Tanjore, Kumbakonam, Udaipur, Jaipur and so many other places.” He drew attention to the trays from Crafts Council of Assam. “One of them is made of water hyacinth and the other of bamboo. These are traditional crafts with a design makeover and natural dyes have been used.” Craftsman, Prashant Moharana of Raghurajpur sent in plates with the Dasavatharam and some with forest scenes. These are normally done on silk or paper but he made them on local wood called Ghambari found in Orissa.
Jayashree Ravi, President CCTN described Thambaalam as “an initiative that will be close to our hearts.” She said the idea was to debunk the myth that art and craft was merely for decoration. “We had beautiful workmanship that was part and parcel of our everyday life, be they combs, vessels we cooked in or the trays we have here. For crafts to survive, we must make art indispensable to our lives.”
One of the most important takeaways from the CCI meet was use of CSR funding, Jayashree added. “It is not just about getting money, which of course is very important, but it is also about using those funds to make changes that endure. CSR should extend to helping Crafts Councils nurture the eco-system of craftsmanship, provide design inputs and streamline archiving and documentation.” She said reviving arts and crafts was a time consuming affair and one that needed to be sustained and extended. “It is not something to just superficially dabble in and move on.”
Thambaalam is open to the public on February 10 and 11 between 10 am and 7 pm at Kudam, 334 Puliakulam Road (Opposite Carmel Garden School)
