NIFT students help artisans revive dying art and craft

Ashok Raina

Kangra, May 7

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kangra, has come forward to help artisans revive the dying art and crafts of the state, which include pine needle, bamboo and wood inlay crafts. Young students have joined hands with the artisans and held a number of programmes and workshops together.

Dr Sivichan Matthew, Director, NIFT, said the budding fashion and lifestyle accessory designers under the patronage of Prof Sandeep Sachan and other senior faculty members have come forward to revive and preserve the pine needle, bamboo and wood inlay crafts which are dying and need immediate attention.

He said craft and Artisans Awareness workshops were organised in NIFT aimed at introducing the crafts to the students and train them and to spread awareness among the crafts persons about the prevailing industry and measures to incorporate their crafts in the modern design for their uplifting.

He said the Fashion and Lifestyle Accessory Design Department had been assigned the job to help in reviving and rejuvenating these crafts.

DK Rangra, Joint Director, said the artisans of different crafts with an experience of more than a decade and extra ordinary zeal to preserve their craft were brought in touch with the enthusiastic NIFT students and workshops and seminars were organised.

Master Craftsman Vikram Singh said that pine needle craft was an intricate craft of weaving the unwanted pine needles together with the help of thread to create home decoration, utility products and fashion accessories. Shammi Lal, wood inlay master craftsman, said the fine craft of engraving acrylic into the wood surface for the ornamentation and beautification of the persisting products was being encouraged by new and innovative ideas by the NIFT students and hoped better market for their product in days to come.

Fine craft of weaving strips of untreated fresh bamboo to create exceptionally beautiful pieces of home decor and utility products by artisans in Sloh village have passed on their skills to students in many regions. Master craftswoman Pushpa Devi said that NIFT workshops had given a new lease of life to their craft.

Yamini Beri, a NIFT student, said,” Craft is not just an art, it’’s a treasure you possess, a treasure that you can behold and pass on like an ancestral jewellery”.