A boost to talented artists and craftsmen

Many artisans and craftsmen in India have been carrying on their art for generations together and to further promote their art, an initiative called ‘A Hundred Hands’ has been started. Its head Mala Dhawan said that the idea is to connect them with those who will buy the items made by these talented artists, who have had this craft in their families for more than five generations. The artists, their craft and a brief write up about the history of their work is put on A Hundred Hands website. Dhawan says that although there is no provision to sell the items online, they promptly connect them with the buyers as soon as they receive an inquiry. The organization is also helping artisans to build their own brand. These artisans make items like footwear, shawls, woodcraft, but there is no mention of their name or brand which makes customers doubt whether the product is genuine. Therefore, creating a brand is necessary and the organization is helping them with that. Dhawan says that they hold exhibitions in Bengaluru, Kochi, Mumbai and now Coimbatore to promote the sale of items made by the artisans. Apart from that, they also encourage the artisans to innovate and study products of other artists too. This way, the craftsmen learn to adopt new styles in their work. For instance, the Sonakaria family of Rajasthan, who make leather footwear, are now creating trendy designs by using the block printed fabric of other craftsmen.