Stringing magic

Till a few years ago, the women of the drought-prone Chitravad village in Saurashtra were totally at the mercy of the rain gods and uncertain agricultural yield for their livelihood. Then, in late-1995, an NGO called Ismailia Helping Society IHS launched Project Tara8217; a programme that not only helped them supplement the family income but also preserve and reinvent the traditional craft of bead work which goes back nearly 200 years.

quot;We8217;ve been doing this for generations all the women in the family are taught this craft. Earlier we used to make torans and hindolis, but never thought we could earn money with it,quot; says Laxmi, who is in Mumbai with a dozen other women to conduct a workshop on this traditional craft. Says IHS8217; Tasleem Mitha, quot;Earlier, all their designs and forms were repetitive. Then we took Chelna Desai, a designer from Mumbai, to help them expand the scope of their craft. We tried calligraphy with beads, made designer jewellery and even cushion covers and other household items.quot;

Thenext step, and a bold one at that, was reproducing a complex painting by Dr Ahmed Moustafa using beads. This training took some time as they didn8217;t know how to make curves or mix various colours for desired effect.

Eventually, they managed to weave an incredibly huge 3X4 metres painting with four panels. Now they are working on other paintings, including three of S H Raza8217;s works. While the jewellery and show-pieces found their way to designer stores like Shoppers Stop and Contemporary Arts and Craft and Patterns, what really matters to these women is the pride and joy of working magic with their unique skills.

Interpretation of Art into Beadcraft, at the Birla Academy of Art and Culture, till March 23. Time: 10.30 am to 6.00 pm.