A celebration of handmade art

It started off as a little garden bazaar three years back but today, the Handmade Collective started by A Hundred Hands has become an event that every serious art aficionado and self-confessed shopaholic attends without fail. So, what can you expect this time around? DNA  lists out five good reasons why you shouldn’t give this event a miss.

The sheer variety on display: The Handmade Collective III features around 36 individual artistes who will be displaying a diverse range of art and crafts including découpage, madhubani, glass crafting, Mughal miniature paintings, sanjhi art, Origami, stained glass works, lambani embroidery, hase chitra mud painting, channapatna lacquerware, Bengal embroidery and there’s more. Now, what really stands out about these works is the fact that, as Mala Dhawan, founder trustee of A Hundred Hands puts it, “Every artiste has been working at it for the past few months just for this collective.” Also be prepared to lose yourself over every artiste’s contemporary interpretations on traditional arts like elegant stone tea light holders handcrafted and sculpted by sculptors of Shivarapatna for instance.

It’s a serious Art and Crafts program: Continuing from the first point, Mala says, “We are not a flea market. While it has the trimmings of a fun day out, it is in truth, a serious arts and crafts programme comprising a serious collective of artists who are members of Hundred Hands .” Elaborating a bit more on the no-nonsensical approach to selecting the artistes who get to participate in the Handmade Collective, Mala says, “We have a stringent selection process. For one, it is imperative that the participant has to be an artiste.” Another equally important criteria that is stressed upon is the finish of the product. “The finish has to be great,” avers Mala, “We are pretty strict about it because at the end of the day the customer is paying for it.” Another highlight she chooses to underline over and over again is how the Collective allows customers to learn more about a particular art or craft by directly interacting with the artisan.
 

Workshops for adults: Get your hands dirty with the workshops that have been organised as part of the programme. The workshops organised include ones on Bamboo weaving, lacquer ware and pottery. “The educative aspect is important for us. We want to encourage people to know and learn more about the indigenous arts. Get your hands dirty. It will give you a nice sense of creativity,” enthuses Mala.

There’s yummy food: As the programme started off on Karnataka Rajyotsava day, Mala reveals ‘Discover Karnataka’ as the theme of the festival. The homemade food stalls thereby will focus on uniquely Karnataka dishes from across the state. Along with a live cooking demo everyday, foodies also get to shop for special recipes and traditional eats. There’s also a kitchen pharmacy where you get to pick and learn about medicinal herbs that can be used for cooking.
5It’s easy on your pockets: “Unlike flea markets that are expensive, we are dirt cheap,” attests Mala. “At the end of the day, it is great for shopping,” she says and with Diwali just a fortnight away, the festival of handmade creations deserves a look-see.

Be at The Handmade Collective III, 4, Ashley Road, Off Brunton Road (Behind Hotel Ajanta), Near Trinity Metro Station, 11am to 7pm, on till November 4. For more details, mail