It’s a curious time, where there is an acute fear of a mortal disease, which has resulted in a complete lockdown of all social, and economic activity. And for craftsmen, dependent on daily production and sales, life has come to a halt, where there are no melas (exhibitions), no sales, no raw material and no money to feed their families.
Swapnil Sethi, a middleman who works with artisans and pop-ups organizers inform, “All the sales have been canceled and no exhibitions are happening for the last 6 months.” He adds, “The artisans living in villages, who come to metropolitans 3-4 times every year to earn their yearly livelihood are in bad shape and will not be able to clear their stock for the coming one year at least. This will have heavy repercussions, not only in terms of debt, but a decrease in production. Craftsmen will be out of jobs for a long time,” he affirms.
The question of survival
If we go by the statistics, the global economy is predicted to contract 3-5%. And if we magnify the art and fashion industry, Italian fashion house Armani is making protective overalls, and Louis Vuitton has turned out face masks instead of luxury luggage, the change is here and it’s true that craftsmen will need to adapt to changing times. The truth is, the craft is sadly not an essential; it is the first thing to be wiped off consumer wish lists when purchasing power diminishes.
Making the best of time
While we are sitting and cribbing amidst all luxury of life, these artisans call it a great time to pass on their family tradition to kids. Sanjay, a pottery artist of Surajkund quips that with schools closed, it is a great time for me to pass on the tradition to my both sons. He adds, “In regular life, my sons are busy with school and play. In this lockdown, they have thoroughly enjoyed learning the family skill, and I’m enjoying teaching it to them.”
Sukhmani and Laxmiben from Badodra, who have been working on appliqué art for the last 4- years, are optimistic about the fall in sales over a period of time. They are using the time to think and create new designs for their next exhibition, which is expected to happen near the festive season. Also, they are looking forward to the wedding season when appliqué furnishings are high in demand and they get bulk orders from local people and exporters too.
For some artisans, the gloomy days of the pandemic had been all about exploring new mediums amidst the crisis of resources. Shikhar Kesharwani, a Kolkata-based artist, who was unable to buy paints in the lockdown, went back to making natural colours at home using coffee beans, flowers and leaves. He says, “On normal days, I used to buy artwork stuff while coming back from my 9-5 job, but during the lockdown, time was completely different and I wanted to utilize my time and make some money by selling artworks online, so I decided to go back to our roots and managed to sell 3 medium-size Madhubani arts during a tough time.
Time for Change
It’s an accepted fact that craftsmen, the second largest employment sector in India, need sustained investment and assistance. Ashraf Khan, a Kaani embroidery artisan, says, “Government, crafts organizations, and designers need to come together and work closely with us, listen to our plight, build on our strengths and think of the solutions to bridge the gap that pandemic has built.” “I had heard about Anand Mahindra’s response to the plight of banana farmers, where he is getting his factory canteens to substitute banana leaves for plates. I wish he is hearing us too and help us with a better life,” informs Ashraf who has no work for last 5 months.
The irony is, the artists who shape the tomorrow with their art, bring in happiness with vibrant colours, are today lost in the darkness of night, with a hope of a golden morning. We, as a society and nation at large, need to help craftsmen rediscover that golden morning.
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