Craft revival at Shilpa 2014
Over a 100 stalls of handicrafts and art work came together at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Exhibition Centre for the annual National Handicrafts Festival “Shilpa” held from August 28- 31. The four days of the trade fair saw a rainbow of colours, the thatched roofs that crowned the
Siththi Sanoba learnt the art of using Palmyrah from her mother
Design driven: Crafts made by the National Design Centre
authentically constructed mud hut stalls to impromptu ‘kolam’ dancers who strutted around the hall, performing among the crowds; the entire atmosphere lending a traditional cultural feel to the Fair.
Organised by the National Crafts Council, Shilpa is an annual gathering of the best works of craftsmen and artisans from around the country collaborating with the NCC and the National Design Centre to produce products meeting the standards of today’s local and foreign markets.
At the two corners of the main hall were the Visithru and Visithma exhibitions. An initiative of the National Crafts Council, Visithru was a showcase of the best crafts and artworks from around the country having been adjudged and won at provincial level. Different to the typical Lankan crafts, stood the Visithma exhibition at a far end of the hall. With cane and bamboo products echoing the craftwork of South East Asia the local artisans in this segment had worked closely with Indonesian designers to prepare for the exhibition. 63- year-old Punyaseeli Chandrasekera, an artisan and teacher from Ratnapura stands alongside her elegant rustic cane bags, baskets and ornaments. Having learned the craft upon leaving school Punyaseeli even today, prides herself on doing everything on her own from cutting the cane to boiling it and then the weaving. Having been a teacher of the craft for decades she tells us “The young (artisans) have now reduced after garment factories became big” but still sees a demand for these products.
Design driven: Crafts made by the National Design Centre
Punyaseeli Chandrasekera stands alongside her elegant cane bags, baskets and ornaments
Established with the aim of helping local artisans reach markets, the exhibition indirectly helps preserve the arts of Sri Lanka which are crafted by those who are part of families of generations of artisans. Such an example is Siththi Sanoba. Hailing from Puttlam, Siththi greets buyers with an engaging smile at her stall in collaboration with the Palmyrah Development Board. Having learnt the art of craftwork using Palmyrah from her mother Siththi is a teacher of the craft sharing her knowledge with her young students back home.
In another enclosure the National Design Centre is yet another kaleidoscope of colour and texture, form and design. The NDC’s segment this year was a preview of their much anticipated exhibition to be held sometime next March. Their display included stylish pieces with the traditional like the clay models echoing the art seen in the Jaffna museum, jewellery and lacquer products, to name a few. With renowned architect and designer Tilak Samarawickrema as their design consultant, the designs echoed the style of craftsmanship they adopted for the design festival held with Mr Samarawickrema in 1986/87.