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Sunday, February 22, 2009
by Saadia Khalid
Islamabad
With striking colour combinations, traditional embroideries, exquisite designs and awesome materials, Sindh crafts continues to allure people whole exhibiting the 500-year old tradition.
Sindh’s apparel tradition is one of the world’s oldest with handlooms and power looms dating back to the Indus Valley civilization. The hand-spun and hand-woven cloth called ‘Khadi’ was being exported to various countries since time immemorial.
Presenting the traditional Sindhi craft with innovative style, an exhibition titled “Promoting Indigenous Handicraft of Sindh” inaugurated on Saturday at Nomad Art Gallery. The exhibition was organised by Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers’ Coordinating Organization (Safwco) in collaboration with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) which grasped a big number of visitors especially foreigners towards it.
The most famous Ajrak remained the centre of attention for the visitors. Dominated by blue colour, the cloth presents a true picture of elegance. Sindh was traditionally a large producer of indigo and cotton cloth and both used to be exported to various countries. Along with Ajrak the Rilli or patchwork sheet, is another Sindhi icon and part of the heritage and culture. The bed sheets, suits, shawls and caps made up of Rilli work were also displayed in the exhibition.
While addressing at the inauguration ceremony Safwco CEO Suleman G Abro said that in order to facilitate the communities of White Desert District Sanghar and Hilly Terrain of District Jamshoro for secure livelihoods, Safwco was implementing sustainable livelihood development programme in collaboration with CRS and Oxfam GB.
“One of the components of the programme is to improve upon the indigenous handicrafts skills of the poor people,” he said.
Safwco Craft consultant Waheeda Bano Baloch said that the exhibition has given me this opportunity through this project to meet the ladies from the disaster programme areas and explore their artistic skills.
“The two areas Khipro and Thana Bola Khan were included in these training programs which were funded by the CRS and OXFAM respectively,” she said while adding that 12 trainings were conducted and these products were produced during training.
“I feel very proud when I say that I have been working with those ladies day and night to make these products and produced some exclusive pieces which are amalgam of traditional skills presented with the modern approach,” she said.
She said that she became the part of their community and lived with them, felt their pain and sufferings, which inspired her to help them to sustain their livelihoods.
CRS Country Representative Darren Hercyk said that CRS was the official humanitarian agency of the US catholic community as we alleviate sufferings and provide assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries without regard to race, religion and nationality.
“We should work together in order to rehabilitate the people especially women living in down trodden areas of the country especially Sindh,” he said.
He said that the women living in these areas were having too much expertise in their hands but could not earn money according to their work due to lack of proper platform.
Nomad Director Nageen Hayat said that they believe in art and culture for social change and development. “Such programmes would not only provide a proper market to the women living in Sindh but also discourage the role of middle man who is exploiting craftsman since centuries,” she said.
by Saadia Khalid
Islamabad
With striking colour combinations, traditional embroideries, exquisite designs and awesome materials, Sindh crafts continues to allure people whole exhibiting the 500-year old tradition.
Sindh’s apparel tradition is one of the world’s oldest with handlooms and power looms dating back to the Indus Valley civilization. The hand-spun and hand-woven cloth called ‘Khadi’ was being exported to various countries since time immemorial.
Presenting the traditional Sindhi craft with innovative style, an exhibition titled “Promoting Indigenous Handicraft of Sindh” inaugurated on Saturday at Nomad Art Gallery. The exhibition was organised by Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers’ Coordinating Organization (Safwco) in collaboration with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) which grasped a big number of visitors especially foreigners towards it.
The most famous Ajrak remained the centre of attention for the visitors. Dominated by blue colour, the cloth presents a true picture of elegance. Sindh was traditionally a large producer of indigo and cotton cloth and both used to be exported to various countries. Along with Ajrak the Rilli or patchwork sheet, is another Sindhi icon and part of the heritage and culture. The bed sheets, suits, shawls and caps made up of Rilli work were also displayed in the exhibition.
While addressing at the inauguration ceremony Safwco CEO Suleman G Abro said that in order to facilitate the communities of White Desert District Sanghar and Hilly Terrain of District Jamshoro for secure livelihoods, Safwco was implementing sustainable livelihood development programme in collaboration with CRS and Oxfam GB.
“One of the components of the programme is to improve upon the indigenous handicrafts skills of the poor people,” he said.
Safwco Craft consultant Waheeda Bano Baloch said that the exhibition has given me this opportunity through this project to meet the ladies from the disaster programme areas and explore their artistic skills.
“The two areas Khipro and Thana Bola Khan were included in these training programs which were funded by the CRS and OXFAM respectively,” she said while adding that 12 trainings were conducted and these products were produced during training.
“I feel very proud when I say that I have been working with those ladies day and night to make these products and produced some exclusive pieces which are amalgam of traditional skills presented with the modern approach,” she said.
She said that she became the part of their community and lived with them, felt their pain and sufferings, which inspired her to help them to sustain their livelihoods.
CRS Country Representative Darren Hercyk said that CRS was the official humanitarian agency of the US catholic community as we alleviate sufferings and provide assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries without regard to race, religion and nationality.
“We should work together in order to rehabilitate the people especially women living in down trodden areas of the country especially Sindh,” he said.
He said that the women living in these areas were having too much expertise in their hands but could not earn money according to their work due to lack of proper platform.
Nomad Director Nageen Hayat said that they believe in art and culture for social change and development. “Such programmes would not only provide a proper market to the women living in Sindh but also discourage the role of middle man who is exploiting craftsman since centuries,” she said.
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