Waste wood creation wins gold at Shilpa 2013
Intricate workmanship is the hallmark of our handicrafts. While there is a tendency to work on the same themes, as noticed at the recent Shilpa 2013 – the annual exhibition organised by the National Crafts Council – there was at least a handful of items where the craftsmen had tried to be innovative and move away from the traditional designs.
Roshan Weerasinghe with the picture made of wood shavings that won him gold
At least one design was unique. Turned out by a young craftsman from Badulla, it depicted a mountainous landscape. The accent was on a pair of wild fowls, offering the artist an opportunity to present a colourful design made of sawdust. The artist, Roshan Susitha Weerasinghe hails from Mailagastenna close to Badulla and his exhibit won the gold award in the Contemporary Arts & Crafts (Waste Material) category. The exhibit stood out amidst many items which we have been seeing year in and year out.
According to a Crafts Council official, it was after many years that a gold award had been won in this category. “I learnt this art of using waste wooddust and pieces from my father,” Roshan said. “I am trying to improve on what he did and create more modern designs.” His father had won awards at the Vishwakarma exhibitions in the 1980s & 90s which preceded Shilpa.
Roshan had used at least six types of wood for his award winning design. “I used dust and tiny pieces of ‘kos’, ‘mee’, ‘sapu’, ‘rata amba’ and ‘wakmee’. Pieces ‘patahi’ used to dye robes were used to get the bright colours which for the feathers of the fowls. Dust was used for the sky in the picture. Encouraged by the award, Roshan has decided to try his hand at turning out a few designs and offer them to hotels hoping to attract tourists. Although he had won silver awards at Shilpa exhibitions in 2005 and 2011, he has not gone into big business as such. This award has given him a lot of confidence to proceed. He firmly believes there is a bright future for products like his.
Another item where the craftsman had gone into detail was the creation in wood of the arrival of the Sri Maha Bodhi sapling from India.
A clay water filter with a set of matching mugs was another ‘new look’ product. Thousands of craftsmen had competed in twenty categories at Shilpa 2013. These in turn were divided into 54 sub-categories. The all-island winners were chosen from the prize winners of the provincial competitions.
The encouraging sign is the widespread interest among craftsmen from around the country but the sad story is that most of them merely continue to produce the same designs over the years.
This has, in fact, led to a sharp drop in the income of the craftsmen since the demand is diminishing for the same old products. Only the handful with imagination and courage to try something new and different will be able to survive.
Interesting creations: The water filter made of clay and left, depicting the arrival of the Sacred Tooth Relic, in wood
