Event Index

Hands onlyMumbai, as a city, does not have many local handicrafts to boast of. So the many fairs and festivals held around the year draw in...

Hands only

Mumbai, as a city, does not have many local handicrafts to boast of. So the many fairs and festivals held around the year draw in big crowds with bigger wallets. Dastakar is one such fair which has been held annually in the city for the last 10 years. Organised by an eponymous Delhi-based society for craft and crafts people, it works with many other grassroot societies such as Abhay Anushtan, Sewa Banaskantha and Banjara Arts Development Centre.

The aim is obviously to market the talent of these local crafts people, profitably. But besides providing designs and modern methods, sometimes the involvement goes a bit further. with the Dastakar workers giving tips on money management, advising on the correct age of marriage andso on. A five-day fair, this time, there are 12 crafts people societies coming to Mumbai with tussar weaves, pottery, bandhini and block prints, phalodi weaves, embroidered leather and several other items priced in the range of Rs 30 to Rs 3,000. For intricate handicrafts, this is not too steep at all.

At Kamalnayan Bajaj Hall, Nariman Point. From December 12 to December 16, 1997. Time: 11.00 am to 7.00 pm.

Looking back

Another one has joined the 50 years of Independence bandwagon. The Sans Tache Art Gallery has organised a special group show in two parts to commemorate five decades of India8217;s independence. Titled 1997, the show features 18 artists in each section.

quot;The idea was to look back at the important events of 1997 through this show,quot; says a spokesperson. So, the artists were given sufficient time to work on paintings especially for this show. The line-up of names featuring in the show include people like Akbar Padamsee, Atul Dodiya, Suhas Bahulkar, P Gopinath, Milon Mukherjee and Sanjay Sawant. The price range has something for everybody as the works fall in the range of Rs 4,000 to Rs 60,000. The second part of this exhibition begins on December 26, 1997.

At Sans Tache Art Gallery, Worli Sea Face. Till December 21, 1997. Time: 10.00 am to 6.00 pm

Gold finger

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Though minakari is now associated only with expensive jewellery sets, earlier this enamelling process, done by hand, was used on textiles also. The cloth was then used for furnishings and dress fabrics. There are not many weavers left who specialise in this art form. And so the reason to exhibit examples of this work which will be on display in a show called Minakari. Organised by the Textile Art Society, this association was set-up by Suresh Neotia and Lekh Poddar last year. Normally these embroidered textiles would cost Rs 50,000 upwards for two meters. But this exhibit is strictly for your eyes only, as nothing is for sale.

At the Coomarasamy Hall, Prince of Wales Museum, till December 13, 1997. Time: 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

Folk images

For those who8217;ve had an overdose of abstract paintings, here8217;s something real8217; 8212; the folk paintings of Gujarat. C D Mistry, an artist from Ahmedabad, is in the city with paintings on mythological themes 8212; incidents from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Devipurana. Mistry has used locally available colours. He didn8217;t mix them so as to give a bright coloured effect, much like paintings by children. Mistry has given his paintings the effect of velvet, fur and the stitches of embroidery. His works come in three different sizes and are priced at Rs 7,000, Rs 9,000 and Rs 12,000.

At Designscape Gallerie, Bandra,till December 25, 1997. Time: 10.30 am to 7.30 pm.

Country life

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Ram Kishore Yadav8217;s oil pastels portray the memories of his childhood spent in a small village near Agra. Hence the imagery of clear skies, trees and birds. Working as a commercial artist during the day and spending his evenings painting, Yadav carved a niche for himself in the art world with his metal works. After 20 years of juggling between the two, 59-year-old Yadav took voluntary retirement to devote all his time to painting. For the past eight years he has been working with pastels, having given up metal work. quot;The metal works give you less options for different colour schemes. Whereas in oil pastels you have full freedom,quot; he says. So instead of just using a few selective colours, his palette now includes a range of bright, pleasant hues 8212; quot;Keeping in mind that vastu shastra says that one should have pleasant colours at homequot;. His works are priced between Rs 5,000 and Rs 12,000 with one particular metal work priced at Rs 25,000.

At the Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda till December 15, 1997. Time: 11.00 am to 7.00 pm.