Most of the art collectors or shoppers drool over when it comes to an art exhibition or a fair. But when it comes to IHGF’S Delhi edition, art collectors literally have goosebumps throughout the five days of the art experience.
Moreover, onlookers or passers-by stop to look, Smriti Irani, our Defence Minister inaugurate the event in Noida.
The event encourages handicrafts and handloom items from all over the nation. Hence providing an impetus in improving exports for the country.
Bamboo India
Our North East are famous for its bamboo products and handloom articles like Mekhla Chador and woolen jackets.
The grand Mekhla
Evolution of handlooms and handicrafts marks the rich and varied culture of India and explains the unity in diversity through a treat to the eyes as also marking various empires of the past.
One can give credit to the IHGF’S Autumn edition to boost and encourage our artisans and artists for their creativity in keeping alive our heritage as also helping them in making a decent livelihood at the same time from the past 23 years.
The idea behind such fairs and events is to pump up the international sales of art merchandise by EPCH.
North-Eastern states are the ones in the limelight in such events supported by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM also quotes that, ’for development, development of artisans is priority!’
The support- Narendra Modi
States in focus were Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram for the fair. From bamboo items like furniture and stationery to textile items like sarees and shawls were promote on a large scale. Plus this also has given rise to the tourism business of the north-east as quoted by an exhibitor.
The Encouragement
Exhibitors have now gained confidence for their efforts into promoting north-eastern art forms through dance and merchandise.
It was seen that more than 300 women in the form of Small and Medium scale enterprises dream to crack a business to business deal with clients from abroad countries.
Sparkling eyes with dreams
Such art forms are being recognized internationally through such platforms provided by IHGF to the artists. Before which north east was treated as just another state; like ignorance was bliss. But today people recognize the state through the various art forms portrayed by the artists through various exhibitions or fairs. Alternatively ‘Urban Haat’ is organized by CIDCO, Navi Mumbai at Belapur quarterly every year for raising a platform for such artists.
Hardworking artisans
Art forms are also encouraged through retailers and wholesalers regulated by the state government. These are also known as state art emporiums to various tourists who wish to purchase or collect art pieces.
Traditional art forms are then being improvised and being portrayed in modern art forms. Fashion Designers are recreating traditional art forms in such a way that artisans also benefit from such a channel. Artisans now gain from both ways that is traditional art form as well as modern art forms.
Meghalayan artistry
North eastern region was earlier just an armament posting for our military jawans, but today we have art forms emerging from the state in the form of dance, paintings, weaving, carving and bamboo carpentry.
Artisans today have transformed ‘Assam Regiment’ to Assam. Other states had never acknowledged north-eastern region unlike now. Citizens and tourists both now fancy or crave for a bamboo or silk collectible which is handmade or hand-woven by the artisans themselves.
Manipuri Dance
Closely looked upon, the artisans have created their network across the globe and have generated a chain of resellers or traders who are linked in resale of their products and promoting their art forms at the same time.
Whereas there are others who invest their time and money in learning these art forms and reproduce the same in a different or modernized manner.
As such the exports from the sale of north-eastern art forms have grown in the past few years from the sales of handicrafts and handloom textile items, increasing the business and profitability of artisans and small to medium scale entrepreneurs who were struggling to mark a presence in the market in the yesteryears.
Mizo weavers
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It has also been noticed that some of the entrepreneurs and artisans have individually travelled and have made their presence felt overseas. As a result leaving the international market craving for more. This also has improvised north-eastern tourism in a way.
Moreover, north-eastern art forms have also been promoted in various Bollywood movies either through characters, location or through songs.
One can relate to the song, ‘Galti se Mistake!’, wherein actor Katrina portrays the famous Bihu dance from Manipur. Manisha Koirala being an actor from the 90’s belongs to the North-East itself. And last but not the least we have sports people like Mary Kom and Baichung Bhutia who were the face of North-Eastern Tourism in the past.
North-East has seen its journey from being controversial to being the most sought after city for its artistic variety as well as for its scenic beauty.
Artisans have worked hard in building their name and repute and shunning off controversy over their backs. It is for their optimism and progressive nature backed up by the Government that they have marked and have made their presence felt in the domestic as well as the international market spaces today.
So, when one looks at their peer or neighbor flaunting their bamboo furniture or a Mekhla saree, the immediate reaction is, ’Hey where did you get that from? Can you give me the co-ordinates?’. Or some may ask it in a flattering manner, ‘Hey that piece of furniture is just so fab, where did you get that from? Would like to have the same for my home too….’
Some ladies in the neighborhood might ask, ‘Can I borrow your Mekhla saree for a function tomorrow?’
Such is the visual treat created by the hard working artisans and small scale entrepreneurs of the North-East.
What do you think?