Sri Lanka and India will jointly showcase the strength of their traditional handicrafts and textiles at the second annual exhibition of Shilpa Kala, which formally opens today (25) in the Mihilaka Medura at the BMICH, Colombo.The exhibibition will be held from May 25 to 28
Shilpa Kala is hosted by the High Commission of India. The president of the Dastkari Haat Samiti of India and veteran handicraft curator Jaya Jaitly, and the president of the Hands of Sri Lanka Foundation and former National Crafts Council Chairman Buddhi Keerthisena have collaborated to organize the exhibition under the aegis of the Indian High Commission.
The exhibition will showcase works of some award winning craftsmen from across India and Sri Lanka. It will expose Indian fabric crafts, sari making, pattachitra, patchwork, embroidery, book binding, muslim textiles, terracotta and wood articleslambani craft, silver and mixed metal jewelryyardage, duppattas, glass work, hand woven cotton, fashion accessories, and hand block panting among other handicrafts and art forms. Sri Lanka artisan will display their share of handicrafts among them textile printing, clay productsm handloom fabric designs, batik, educational toys, ceramics, Palmyrah and Telipot cproducts, lace, traditional masks, handloom saris and natural stone art forms.
At a press conference held at Taj Samudra hotel in Colombo to announce the inauguration of the exhibition Second Secretary of Indian High Commission Niteen Subhash Yeola said they are trying to promote a partnership between India and Sri Lanka to boost the handicraft sector with the help of Jaya Jaitly and Buddhi Keerthisena. Jaitly and Keerthisena participated in the press conference.
Yeola said they expect that Sri Lankan handicraft artisans will have a wider audience in India.
Jaity said that she is not a stranger to Sri Lanka or its handicraft culture.
“What bring us together is our shared culture,” she said,” I am so happy that the High Commission of India is hosting Shilpa Kala exhibition because usually it is the Ministry of Indian Textiles which looks after handicrafts and handlooms in India, which looks after such things.
She said that promotion of handicrafts through exhibitions such as Shilpa Kala provides an excellent platform for diplomacy at people- to- people level.She said the people in Sri Lanka who do grass- mat weaving can sit with those grass-mat weaving people in India.
“There is a language they are speaking without knowing the language of each other. There is the technique they understand each other. There are new things they can teach each other,” she said.
“In the field of handicrafts we have often found crafts people willing to share their knowledge among each other.”
“In the competitive corporate world it is not so. You do not want the others to know your design or prototype. You have your own brand,” she pointed out, “But in our field of handicrafts, Sri Lankan handicrafts are Sri Lankan brand and it is the cultural identity of Sri Lanka. The same way we feel for India.”
“Average village craftsman may not be highly educated. He may not know how to reach out.I have brought an exquisite Kashmir embroidery craftsman. The sad thing is he does not know how to read and write. Others have travelled different parts of the world. We like to give them this kid of opportunityso that they have a chance to see how other countries are.”
“This is a very good platform to develop friendship,” she added.
Buddhi Keerthisena said following the success of their first Shilpa Kala last year, the High Commission of India had decided to hold the exhibition this year.
“They are funding the projects entirely, I am thankful to them. India is supporting us in a big way to promote our handicraft industry. India has a lot of handicraft programs. We have to take them to strengthen our handicraft industry,” he said.
“The sharing of arts and handicrafts between Sri Lanka and India dates back to era of King Ashoka of India and King Devanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka,” he reflected.
“Our relations in the field of art and handicrafts have stood the test of time,” he said and added,” It continues to enhance the strong bond between our two countries,” he pointed out.