Word-of-Art

Until a year ago,the 38-year-old native of Naya,a village of chitrakars in West Midnapore district of West Bengal,wasnt sure how long he would be able to sustain living on the art form. With no education and only his art to keep him going,Chitrakar would travel across West Midnapore with his paintings depicting folk tales and scenes from the Ramayana and set up pop-up shops. Hed also sing the stories to regale his audience,who would enjoy his acts,but wouldnt buy his paintings. They would give us rice,grains and roti for our efforts. We would pack up and return home, he says.

Just when Chitrakar was about to give up,he came in touch with Jaya Jaitley,politician-social activist when she visited his village last year. Along with 58 other karigars craftsmen,artisans and weavers from 16 states and speaking 14 different languages,Chitrakar was brought under the fold of Akshara,Jaitleys project that promotes indigenous arts and crafts by teaching regional languages at the workshops it holds in different cities. It introduces the artists to different calligraphic styles of writing,instilling a level of pride in their regional languages,and in the process,helps promote their crafts,says Jaitley. She began Akshara in 2007; three years later,the first exhibition of the artisans works was held in Chennai. Now they are gearing up for their second,but much larger,exhibition over 100 works of the artisans,with 21 different skills,will be displayed at the India Habitat Centre in Delhi between September 16 and 21.

Artists with Akshara incorporate calligraphic elements into their art. Chitrakar,for example,has learned to read and write Bengali,and uses the written word to narrate his paintings. After attending a six-day workshop by Akshara in Delhi last October,the painter has written and illustrated a childrens storybook called Amar Ma My Mother,which has been translated into eight languages by Pratham Books. The original hand-bound copy of the book will be on display at the exhibition in Delhi. This has uplifted Chitrakars morale. I want to do more storybooks and open a museum of Kalighat paintings for the world to see, he says.

Its interesting how words are helping dying art forms. Like the tradition of weaving the Hindi words sada saubhagyavati on the borders of bridal saris in Chanderi,Madhya Pradesh. Over the years,the weavers replaced the Hindi words with the English Welcome. With Akshara,Jaitley hopes to reverse the trend. Many craftspeople believe they are uneducated because they dont know English or cant operate a computer. We want them to appreciate literacy but not at the cost of their skill, she says.

Jaitley only guides the artists; they are free to use their interpretations of calligraphy in their works. Maqbool,a weaver from Varanasi,has woven Urdu words he identifies with the most kapda cloth,karagha loom,kaagaz paper and kalam pen in the form of birds on the pallus of Benarasi saris.

Ghaziabads Arshad Kafeel,who is a wood-carver,like his father,could read Urdu,but not write it. Ever since he learned calligraphy,he has been able to incorporate it into his works. One of the most stunning items in his collection is a wall hanging for doors that reads Aana tera mubarak,tashreef laane waale Your presence is good fortune. The words are etched into the body of a peacock. I never thought that words could add so much depth to my work, says Kafeel,who has now started using Urdu calligraphy on coasters,lamps and paperweights. I started with small words,and have now progressed to bigger words,even poetry. My favourite phrase I have written is Taleem ne insaan ko farsh se arsh tak uthaya hai Education has lifted a human being from the floor to the sky, he says.

Jaitley hopes to get in touch with UNESCO,which is working towards preserving languages around the world,for Akshara. This project will also help these artists sell their works at fair prices based on the amount of time,effort,materials and skill spent a tree-of-life wall hanging in Kalamkari,for example,could cost Rs 60,000 whereas a cupboard depicting Kawad-style paintings from Rajasthan,could cost up to a lakh.

The works on display in Delhi wont be for sale,but the exhibition will serve as a medium for those interested in getting in touch with the artists. Jaitley also hopes that the works will find a larger audience through commercial sources. We want Akshara to have a spill-off effect, she says. Hopefully,designers will pick up on the idea and help promote it commercially to more people.