The Delhi Crafts Council (DCC) presents a curated collection of artworks encompassing a range of traditional folk art and crafts. They will be presenting over fifty pieces created by eight artisans exclusively for the United Art Fair.
These pieces will be displayed alongside works of various Indian and International artists. The exhibition brings together an assortment of talented artisans who come from diverse cultural backgrounds.
National Awardee Ambika Devi creates intricate Mithila paintings on natural paper, an art form originating in the Madhubani District of Bihar. The self-taught artist from Rajasthan, Soni Jogi has contributed works in her unique style of dot painting.
Jogi’s brother, Raju Kalbelia portrays images of his childhood in Mount Abu, Rajasthan such as village scenes and animals in thread embroidery on malkha khadi and Chakradhar Lal displays over-sized, elaborate and colorful snakes and ladder and ludo games in the style of Madhubani painting on paper-mache.
Padmashree Kailash Chandra Meher from Odisha presents his unique tree paintings on large silk and gold covered canvases. Chandrabhushan Lal is a National and State Awardee and has a versatile ability to create traditional and contemporary works using incredibly fine nib work observed in certain styles of Mithila painting.
In a craft that makes the best out of waste, using recycled fragments of fabric to make the shapes and figures, Nirmala Marandi creates works of Kathwa appliqué with thread embroidery. Kathwa is an expressive textile art from Jharkand that portrays the culture of a community and their life experiences. In the hands of Hira Kanth, everyday images are transformed into exciting and colourful paintings in her own interpretation of traditional Madhubani Painting.
'The team at DCC is constantly searching for additional ways to promote our craftsmen and open new markets for their work. The United Art Fair provides a perfect platform to highlight these artists and their unique talents. We have provided our craftsmen with materials, equipment, and studio space. The journey has been extremely rewarding due to the experimentation of new styles and re-interpretation of traditional techniques,' says Pratiksha Somaia, General Secretary, Delhi Crafts Council.