In an attempt to revive the glorious tradition of Indian arts and handicrafts and the creative spirit it stems from, the house of Art Melange organised its debut exhibition, SawDesi, between November 3 and 5 at Gallery Gold, with My Kolkata as digital partner. The show and purchase event was inaugurated by sculptor Tarak Garai in the presence of Kamalendu Sarkar, journalist, poet and art critic. “I’m in awe of all the artists who participated in SawDesi and decided to trust their artistic instinct and uphold the seeds of their creativity. Every single stall here has used different forms and techniques, available to be sourced by enthusiastic Kolkatans at affordable rates”, stated Garai.
Tarak Garai (left) with Eliza Bhowmik Amit Pramanik
SawDesi, in the words of co-founder Eliza Bhowmik, was “intentionally small-scale to avoid overwhelming our patrons besides promoting the essence of conscious slow living”. Being an artist herself, she had undergone frustrating experiences of having to pay hefty sums for exhibitions that were so cluttered with stalls that customers ended up purchasing solely from the ones near the entrance, which were usually occupied by resellers.“Somewhere, the artistic touch was lost,” complained Bhowmik. Thus, Bhowmik, along with co-founder Sourabh Ghosh, decided to launch SawDesi, whose minimal participation costs allowed artists to connect with established patrons as well as first-time customers in an attempt to build a thriving community that lasts far longer than the three days of the exhibition.
From silver replicas to customised shoes to hand-painted decor and much more
Joyonee Haldar and Sriyanka Roy of Chatim Amit Pramanik
Over three days, SawDesi hosted brands across jewellery, handicrafts, artwork, apparel and accessories. Among them was Joyonee Haldar and Sriyanka Roy’s jewellery brand, Chatim. Named after Tagore’s favourite blossom, Chatim specialises in premium silver replicas crafted out of the alloys of aluminium, brass and copper. “As magnificent as its charm is, it’s not always possible to afford pure silver jewellery,” said Haldar, who launched Chatim a year ago with her school friend, Roy, in an attempt to bring the everlasting charm of silver at prices ranging between Rs 150 and Rs 5,000. The pieces not only provide employment to several artisans scattered across Kolkata but are also designed by the self-taught co-founders themselves.
Debasis Nandy of Sucharita’s Amit Pramanik
Helmed by former journalist and designer, Debasis Nandy, Sucharita’s also put up quite a show. Featuring home decor items crafted with wood, ceramic, jute and the dwindling art form of dokra and shabaighash, Sucharita’s aims to infuse daily-use items with traditional artistic notes. Dokra is an art form that first started in the Bankura-Dariapur belt of West Bengal nearly five millennia back, which wraps non-ferrous metal over mud sculptures covered with strings of beeswax to produce jointless designs. On the other hand, shabaighash is the straw extracted from the abandoned nests of weaver birds to produce a jute-like material which Nandy uses to craft his bags. From solid wooden trays with intricate dokra figurine handles to sturdy jute bags, Sucharita’s handcrafted products, ranging between Rs 400 and Rs 1,200, came all the way from artisans’ homes in Bishnupur and Gopiballavpur.
Raysa Bhowmik of Kulungi Amit Pramanik
Founded by interior designer Raysa Bhowmik, Kulungi produces handmade and hand-painted interior decor items that aim to be as functional as they are soothing to the eye. “It started as an attempt to enhance the decoration segment of my interior decoration business. These pieces provide homes with a personal touch and add elements of eco-friendly fun,” said Bhowmik, who featured coasters, aroma candles, hand-painted table runners and one-of-a-kind curtain ties in her stall, among other items. SawDesi was not only Kulungi’s first exhibition but also where it launched itself into the public domain, with products starting for as little as Rs 75.
Shalini Sengupta (right) of Huedkick Amit Pramanik
Next was Shalini Sengupta and Soumyadeep Chatterjee’s innovative brainchild, Huedkick. With a name that translates into a “kick of colours”, Huedkick specialises in customised wearable art, primarily designer shoes. The engineer-duo, who happen to be partners in both business and life, started Huedkick with a vision to never create two designs that look the same. “We do everything one-on-one. We believe that all that is worn by one should reflect their individualism. This is exactly why we don’t stock an inventory as we don’t repeat designs. The purpose for coming here is to do a live painting session in front of everybody so that they understand the vision that Huedkick upholds,” explained Sengupta, who likes upcycling shoes and has even worked on designer kicks that cost a whopping Rs. 44,000. Huedkick’s customisation rates start from Rs 2,500.
Mukul Bhattacharjee of Arna Amit Pramanik
With over 10 years of experience in the textile industry, Mukul Bhattacharjee’s Arna focused on blouses for SawDesi. Bhattacherjee’s P. Majumder Road boutique hosts all kinds of women’s garments, ranging from hand-sewn skirts to custom orders, crafted mostly out of pure cotton unless requested otherwise. “I was always fond of sewing and used to make items of daily wear for my neighbours. It was only when I was asked to sell my items at a neighbourhood exhibition that I understood how overwhelming the response was. Soon after, I launched Arna as a full-fledged brand with my first customers from my elocutionists’ collective,” stated Bhattacharjee whose Sawdesi collection featured both traditional and eclectic designs, starting Rs 1,000 onwards.
Subhra Chatterjee Saha (left) with her artwork Amit Pramanik
The event also hosted artwork from the house of Subhra Chatterji Saha, lecturer by day and artist by night. Like most Bengalis who learn to paint from an early age, Saha, too, visited art classes galore as a child. But soon, life took over. Nowadays, her label, which is a venture to reconnect with her childhood and femininity, hosts sketches, glass paintings, oil paintings, acrylics and charcoal paintings along with gel candles and aromatic soy candles crafted with homegrown flowers and imported dry fruits. Her candles start from Rs 199 and her paintings from Rs 1,600.
Tanzanite by Arch Amit Pramanik
Elsewhere, Tanzanite by Arch was the second jewellery brand featured in SawDesi. Disha Banerjee had quit her day job a year back, flying back to Kolkata from Noida to impart a new identity to her mother’s brainchild. Now, Tanzanite by Arch specialises in 92.5 silver jewellery, ranging from dainty studs to exquisite silver bags with inlays, ranging between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000. All their products are handcrafted in Jaipur along with their pure leather bags, which feature work from the heart of Gujarat.
Sudeshna Sarkar Amit Pramanik
The exhibition also housed the works of Sudeshna Sarkar and Binita Bandyopadhyay. Sarkar, who specialises in sketching, aims to be a professional artist someday. On the other hand, Bandyopadhyay is a gold medalist from Kala Bhavana, who currently teaches as an assistant professor at Grizzly College of Education.
Infusion with their line-up of fragrances Photograph courtesy: SawDesi
The last two days of the exhibition also hosted two new entrants, Ishna Collections and Infusion, who specialise in bags and fragrances, respectively. Infusion was started by Satarupa Mohanta and Asmita Guha Bhattacharya, both of whom hold certifications in perfumery. Their products infused invigorating fragrances into the Gallery Gold air, while Ishna Collections provided patrons with fashionable bags they could carry their purchases back in.
Abhik Poddar (left) and Barjyokobi Photograph courtesy: SawDesi
Eliza Bhowmik, who is a fashion designer by profession and styles Tollywood celebrities both on and off screen, shared how SawDesi wishes to host an exhibition that “promotes art rather than sale” every month in the near future. The event was also graced by actor Ayan Bhattacharjee and performers such as Barjyokobi and Abhik Poddar. “I’m pleasantly surprised by how thoughtful SawDesi is. It has everything from professional labels to quirky shoes. For someone like me who loves handmade curations, it was like a treasure trove in the heart of the city. I can’t wait for Sawdesi’s second edition,” said Bhattacherjee, while Barjyokobi, who performed an elocution collage with Poddar on the second day, commended the organisers’ “tireless efforts and the nuanced audience that the exhibition hosted”.
