What are we without our cultural, traditional arts and crafts?! Rootless, identity-less people who are oblivious to the historical reflections of simplicity, decadence and everything in between. Our craftsmanship reflects our ancient heritage and leaves a trail of legacies that transport us to former centuries, it is absolutely essential to nurture Indian handicrafts,” declares Shobhaa De, novelist, columnist, cultural icon, and speaker at Jiyo Junoon on the sidelines of this immersive experience.
Jiyo, the self-empowering program, has completed a decade of supporting and creating rural artisans. And now, on its 10th anniversary, it is celebrating the occasion by organizing a marketplace called Jiyo Junoon. The six-day celebration has an assortment of products such as incense burners, silk ikats, nature accessories, design-oriented modular wall tiles, cotton brocades, grass furniture, tribal papier mache, asymmetric needle-work, leather lamps, forest food products and more.
The contemporary items from the world of slow fashion, forest foods, bespoke design, conscious retail, and transdisciplinary experiences have all been created by the self-empowered communities of the Red Corridor — the six states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Helmed by Rajeev Sethi, the man behind the Jaya He Art Program at T2 International Airport, the exhibition also has panel discussions with eminent personalities, live performances, dances and workshops among others. Telling us more about the extravaganza, Anandhi Dasaraj, Project Lead, Jiyo Junoon, says that this is a showcase of what Village India can make for the world. “The idea is to bring Indian design and craft to contemporary market,” she states.
Speaking about their work with the artisans, Anandhi informs that they have been working with them for the past 10 years. “We have gone to areas where skilled communities exist but their skills had been so far used for traditional purposes. For instance, in Odisha, Sabai grass was used only for making ropes, earning them Rs 30 a day. Now, they have been taught to make art installations with it, enhancing their daily earnings to Rs 300 a day,” she adds.
On display are hand crafted beads and jewellery, bagh printed saris and suits with dupattas from Madhya Pradesh, Bavanbuti weaving and Madhubani painting from Bihar, bamboo lights and screens from Jharkhand, Dhokra casting from Odisha, ikat-weaving saris and stoles from Telengana and Uppada weaving from Andhra Pradesh among other unique products. Pheroza Godrej, Konkona Sen Sharma, Shekhar Kapur, Shobhaa De, Tasneem Mehta and Shabana Azmi are some of the eminent personalities speaking here.
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