ADVERTISEMENT

Daksha: Crafting Voices brought artists and art aficionados under one roof

Held from June 20 to 25 at Birla Academy of Arts and Culture

Archisha Mukherjee (t2 Intern) Published 06.07.23, 04:49 AM
Eminent personalities such as Partho Kar, chief consultant, Biswa Bangla; Samiran Banik, founder member at ABID; Srila Chatterjee, founder, Baro Market; Raj Gope, design lead, Reliance Retail Ltd.; Darshan Dudhoria, owner and director, Bari Kothi Heritage Hotel; and Sunil Kumar, GM, JW Marriot Kolkata, discussed Crafts and Hospitality: How traditional rural craft can be incorporated in the Indian hospitality sector. Moderated by scenographer Swarup Dutta, Kumar started off by stressing the need to go local while designing the interiors of hotels. Dudhoria focused on the importance of telling stories through handcrafted products and how locally produced objects can help in setting up heritage hotels in a rural setup. Banik urged hoteliers to come forward and work with both designers and local artists, and create exquisite craft-based products. Kar narrated how Brand Bengal was born with the whole idea of leveraging local artists, their art and craft practices. Chatterjee, who believes in the power of crafts in blurring the lines between past and present, stressed that craft-based products must be accessible, replicable and should be procured more. Gope shared how big companies such as Reliance are going to rural areas, and focusing on working through rural hubs, with rural artists and developing customised unique products.

Eminent personalities such as Partho Kar, chief consultant, Biswa Bangla; Samiran Banik, founder member at ABID; Srila Chatterjee, founder, Baro Market; Raj Gope, design lead, Reliance Retail Ltd.; Darshan Dudhoria, owner and director, Bari Kothi Heritage Hotel; and Sunil Kumar, GM, JW Marriot Kolkata, discussed Crafts and Hospitality: How traditional rural craft can be incorporated in the Indian hospitality sector. Moderated by scenographer Swarup Dutta, Kumar started off by stressing the need to go local while designing the interiors of hotels. Dudhoria focused on the importance of telling stories through handcrafted products and how locally produced objects can help in setting up heritage hotels in a rural setup. Banik urged hoteliers to come forward and work with both designers and local artists, and create exquisite craft-based products. Kar narrated how Brand Bengal was born with the whole idea of leveraging local artists, their art and craft practices. Chatterjee, who believes in the power of crafts in blurring the lines between past and present, stressed that craft-based products must be accessible, replicable and should be procured more. Gope shared how big companies such as Reliance are going to rural areas, and focusing on working through rural hubs, with rural artists and developing customised unique products. Pictures: Swarup Dutta

Daksha: Crafting Voices, a collaborative project curated and co-designed by Swarup Dutta, attempted to harmonise tradition with contemporary lifestyle and develop sustainable products for the hospitality market. Held from June 20 to 25 at Birla Academy of Arts and Culture, it was a melting pot of artists and art lovers. The artists, part of Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs, a collaborative effort of the department of MSME&T, Government of West Bengal and UNESCO, showcased their art in a spectacular display. The event also saw two panel discussions addressing significant issues in promoting these heritage crafts. “I curated and co-designed Daksha: Crafting Voices with Contact Base and their creative team. We the design fraternity have played a catalytic role in this project, collaborating with artisans to co-create products which are market-ready. It was a great opportunity to meet these creative producers for sourcing relevant products for hospitality projects, gifting and events industry,” said Swarup Dutta.

(l-r) Australian consul general Rowan Ainsworth (second from left) with Swarup and artisans, Fashion designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh dropped by

(l-r) Australian consul general Rowan Ainsworth (second from left) with Swarup and artisans, Fashion designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh dropped by

The exhibition attempted to showcase and empower the voices of many rural artisans apart from enlightening us about the rich heritage and cultural treasure that our state possesses. The range included beautiful masks and floral motifs made of shola to patachitra posters telling a beautiful story, and more.

RELATED TOPICS

Art Exhibition Swarup Dutta
Follow us on:
ADVERTISEMENT