A Hundred Hands

My earliest memories of “working with my hands” go back to when I joined School. The bus ride was almost an hour long in both the morning and afternoon. To ward off boredom, we first graders used to play cat’s cradle. Before we knew it, one thing led to another and by second grade, those woolen threads were being used used for making chains. Come August, we would have safety pins all over our jeans and our bags would be filled with multi coloured embroidery threads. After all, both Raksha Bandhan and Friendship Day were celebrated with great enthusiasm.

One teacher taught us how to make roses with ribbon and soon we were making bouquets and bouquets of the rose of different colours. The juniors used to wait to be included in the Rose Club. Eventually, I learned crochet, knitting and embroidery and life was never the same. For my friends, one year I made butterfly ear rings with beads and another year, lizards as pendants.    

Making granny squares into blankets for new cousins and nieces has been my passion. Every train ride, plane ride or car ride would not be complete without my project kit. I would always worry about my needles getting confiscated by the security at the airport. Hence, I came up with many creative ways of sneaking them along, each time.

No matter how tired I would be, after school, I would always look forward to starting a new or completing an ongoing project as a way to re-energizing myself, physically and emotionally. Being a part of A Hundred Hands family has been such an exciting adventure. Meeting other craft lovers who buy and sell hand made products gives a sense of community to the whole effort.

Written by Anuka Dhir as a special guest for A Hundred Hands. She is  one of our youngest members of A Hundred Hands. Anuka juggles creativity with school work as she juggles continents, homework and volunteering for us as well. . 

I write this while the ever expanding job list for the Annual Handmade Collective is growing at breakneck speed, my phone battery has died and suddenly calm has descended...so over a cup of tea, I find myself mulling over where we are....Sometimes I wonder how we started A Hundred Hands...or rather I would say we just stumbled into it and like most things that you enjoy, one ends up sticking with it....through the highs and lows, ups and downs. It’s an uphill task and we truly live from one crisis to another but the sun always rises and the sky is often blue. Over the past 7 years, the AHH family as we’ve started to call ourselves, has grown- everyone’s gotten to know each other among the members of this collective...Many social lines blur between the urban and rural, the traditional and the contemporary, between the well educated and the less read, the highly skilled and the hobbyist  and suddenly social variances wane and personalities emerge.  Whatsapp is a great connector and the MEtoWE project launched last year has forced a lot more interaction between members. Over the years, we know the ones who keep the others laughing, the ones who keep the others energized, the ones who are disciplined and the ones who you can fall back on, especially when all around you collapses. 

The Annual Handmade Collective comes around but once a year in Bangalore,   ( 29th Nov to 3rd Dec)  Mumbai ( completed in Jan)  and later this year in Fort Cochin and Coimbatore . At every collective the bon homie is apparent everywhere and  most members are given roles and tasks. Tempers are high      ( as can be with every super stretched low budget programme) and the expression “tired to the bone” is real. But while we do it once a year ( rather its now 4 times a year but still!!) , many an artisan spends the entire season from  Sept to Feb doing the exhibition rounds. It brings things into perspective and a whole new understanding of how tough things are to make a living out of  handmade. 

V Sathiyamoorthy’s father gave in to his eagerness to experiment and created a range of Kanchi Cotton sarees with the traditional temple border. Now, Sathiyamoorthy handles the designing  with new colour combinations but ensures the traditional motifs remain during his process of experimentation. 

When V Sathiyamoorthy had to collaborate with another artist for the Me2We project, he collaborated with Porgai by The Tribal Health Initiative. Porgai works with Lambadi women and not only helps them to earn a living but also plays an instrumental role in reviving the dying traditional craft of Lambadi embroidery. 

An organic collaboration, the Lambadi embroidery on the Kanchi Cotton sarees resulted in classy and elegant sarees that appealed to all ages.

Chitrika from Andhra Pradesh, in an endeavour to participate in the collaborative craft theme, has ventured into garmenting for the first time. They have tied up with Sandor Kushala Kala Kendra (SKKK) from Karnataka for Banjara embroidery on their handloom (Cotton and Khadi) garments.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Sandor Kushala Kala Kendra are creating a wide range of bright coloured beautiful dupattas and accessories (bags and pouches), with the handwoven cotton fabric provided by Chitrika. For Bags and pouches SKKK is using the cut pieces and waste fabric from Chitrika.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

SKKK had been receiving feedback about the design being stagnant. So this collaboration has livened up the artisans to use their creative bend of mind. SKKK is also looking forward to future collaborations with different groups so that they can innovate a various new ranges of product. For instance - Banjara work on leather bags.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Speaking about the AHH membership, Roohi said that they are very happy with the platform provided by A Hundred Hands. “Although we have a store in Bangalore, with AHH membership we got a better outlet. It’s the clientele and the crowd that makes the difference. We on our own could not have done this.”

Switha from Chitrika says, ”We have been planning to venture on garmenting for a long time now, and this initiative provided us the opportunity to experiment on garmenting. This is of course a value addition to our organisation as we are introducing new range of products.”

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

“We had a successful run the first time we participated in The Handmade Collective Bazaar last year. It is a very good platform for the artisans and hence I was keen on exploring this opportunity,” she adds.

The opportunity did turn out to be a huge success and you now have a chance to own one of these beautiful pieces of this collaboration by visiting our Mumbai Bazaar in January 2017.  

When Anita Joshua from Anita Karat Joshua Studios and Arati Bedekar, from Encaustic Art by Arati got together for the ME2WE project, they knew that they would be creating unique and stunning pieces of art. 

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

The Jewellery Perch lends a different dimension to a lady’s dresser. Uniquely shaped with slots to perch dangling earrings strategically, it also doubles up to hold sticks of eye & lip pencils. While the Ceramic Disc can be displayed in a zany frame on the wall!

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

The Potter’s expertise:  

The process involves throwing a lump of clay and turning it into the resultant shape at the potters' wheel and further glazing it by raising it to a temperature of 1250°C in a kiln. 

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Encaustic Art Paint : The Encaustic art work done complements the ceramic perch by adding an artistic array of colours. The challenge of working on a curved surface which retains heat was something which came up in the collaboration. Working with the encaustic iron, hot air gun and other tools, the pieces of artwork were achieved. 

Krishnaprakash Vasant Martand, is an artist who hails from Gulbarga, Karnataka.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

He specializes in ink and paper 'line art' that features for the large part abstract, heavily ornamented gods and goddesses drawn primarily from Indian mythology. 

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Unlike the famed Surpur miniature paintings which his work has a passing resemblance to, and which he claims as a big influence, he uses clean lines in the service of a revisionist, contemporary, whimsical re-imagining of the characters that dot the ancient Indian epics. His larger works, usually monochromatic, are dense and intricate and calligraphic in their treatment.

Leather Mojadia is a craft that is native to Rajasthan. Kajod Mal from Udaipuria, Rajasthan and his son are master mojari (footwear) craftsmen keeping this 500 year old art alive. With a group of karigars (artisans), they make and sell mojaris through their enterprise, ‘ Village Leather Craft.’ The mojaris are hand crafted and designed from scratch by these artisans.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

The team of artisans locally procure Goat and Camel leather which is then cured by them. Although they buy dyes for the mojaris from the market, the base colours are mixed to create unique shades. Also, some of the artisans when making the mojaris, measure it by hands. 

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Traditionally, mojaris would only consist of two colours but with the times changing, today, they make mojaris that are multi coloured. They have also started using hand block printed fabric on the mojaris, moving away from the traditional ‘leather only’ ones. 

When Susan John of A Sunny Disposition first met the group Chitrika from Andhra Pradesh, she was completely bowled over by their interesting weaves and signature checks.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

The trigger was the ME2WE project and lines of communication soon opened up. Susan was discussing her idea with Switha of Chitrika and the result has been some really trendy, bright happy handloom ‘Checks’ that complement A Sunny Disposition’s range of handmade bags.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Susan feels that using this fabric for the first time has been challenging, being cotton and expandable and after a lot of trial and error, she was able to hit upon the right pattern.  

To be launched at the ME2WE section a the 7th Annual Handmade Collective. Make sure to visit our Bazaar.

Can anyone think of plants without soil! It’s good news for those who want a low-maintenance plant and yet a plant that enhances the aesthetic of a space. Monisha Lobo, specialising in the art of making elegant terrariums and charmingly styled plants has teamed up with Glass Blower Mahesh to experiment something very unique called Aeriums. Aeriums are glass gardens that hold Tillandsias, also known as air plants, in a glass vessels.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Mahesh is creating a range of glass orb Aeriums meant for air plants. “These air plants don’t need soil for existence. They draw nutrients from air. I am placing these plants in the aeriums along with pebbles and moss, creating a beautiful garden within the glass orb,” says Monisha Lobo.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

The collaboration between the two was an interesting combination that transcended language and geographical barriers. Mahesh had to understand what the Aerium was and how his mastery in glass blowing could create what Monisha had in mind. Monisha on the other hand had to spend time understanding the constraints that Mahesh had and the net take out of more empathy of each others’ craft. A truly rural- urban collaboration.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Go green with these with these unique Glass Gardens. Do visit  our 7th Annual Handmade Collective Bazaar.

Craft Collaboration: Crochet and Patwa Threadwork

Artists: Saritha Ashok and Vishnu Patwa

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Crochet, is a very popular Western method of creating fabric by interlocking loops of yarn or thread is well known to all. A 100 Hands decided to introduce Crochet to Patwa Threadwork. The  Patwa community has been making traditional accessories with thick weaves of thread for many generations.

This collaboration has resulted in Neckpieces using strands made with Patwa technique. It also includes shells and pom-poms that are seen usually in Patwa pieces. Crochet paisleys were added to them to finish the pieces.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

The top parts of the earrings were made using Patwa techniques and crochet pieces were added to them.

Here’s how it happened:

Saritha Ashok from Rainbow Bunting,  sent rough drawings and description of what she wanted from Vishnu ji through Whatsapp. He made samples first and once it was finalised, she then sent him the list of colour choices. Once she received the items, she added crochet to the pieces.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

The primary challenge faced was communication with the other artist. There were small language issues. Also, since rural artists are not active on phone, there was a time lag in communication.

In her words, Saritha describes her thoughts on the collaboration- ‘This theme has been very exciting. I would never have attempted to do it, if it was not the theme this year. That is why A Hundred Hands is different. They always come up with new and innovative ideas to challenge the artists and improve interactions among them. I also learned more about Patwa, because I had to refer a lot about it before starting to design the pieces’

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Something this unique and beautiful shouldn’t be missed out on. Come pick your statement pieces at our 7th Annual Handmade Collective Bazaar.

Handloom  fabric to line Newspaper Rolled Picnic Baskets : From Women in Bangalore to Women in Shimoga.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

This is nature’s best with recycled hand-rolled newspaper picnic baskets  from Aardra lined with Charakas handloom naturally dyed cotton to set the mood of celebrating nature. The naturally dyed fabric is developed from Areca Nut – which commonly grows in the Shimoga District where Charaka is based. This collaboration is between Urban Group of Women Aardra based in Bangalore and the Rural group of Women based in Heggodu.   

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Aardra aims at giving a fresh lease of life to the humble newspaper. To further enhance the longevity of the products, they intended to line a few of them with fabric for example,  storage baskets and handbags. They were attracted to Charaka for its skin friendly fabric, and its philosophy of bringing back handloom and natural dyes into the market.

Make time to come and pick up your picnic baskets at our 7th Annual Handmade Collective Bazaar.

This collaboration is a journey that goes from Bangalore all the way to Bhuj. Bangalore is known for it slight nip in the air and for its sudden spells of cold. That’s when one is going to need a hand knitted neck warmer made by our very own Bangalore Knitter- Madhu Mehra.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Madhu Mehra from She who Knits integrated patterns of Ajrakh block printed fabric into her very warm neck warmers. The fine Ajrakh fabric acts as perfectly soft liner inside the wool. In addition, the amalgamation of typically Indian Block Printed fabric with western wear has a uniquely contemporary Indian edge.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Perfect for the winter coming soon. Make sure to visit our 7th Annual Handmade Collective and get your own bunch of ME2WE goodies. 

Community based organization- Avani has collaborated with Mr. Vishnu Kumar Patwa, a thread worker from Rajasthan, who specializes in creating beautiful tassled items. Combining that with Avani’s handwoven scarves, stoles and shawls, they had a winning combo.

Even though the two crafts were different in the sense of their final product, they are a good fit together since, the raw material used is the same (Yarns) and final products completely complement each other. While Avani creates textile products using handspun and handwoven yarn, Mr. Patwa creates thread Jewelry and other items using that yarn – a great adornment for any scarf, stole or dupatta.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Since at AVANI, they are particular about using only Natural yarn, naturally dyed, they also wanted the tassles to be made of the same material, keeping their final product true to their sensibility. The main challenge for Avani in this endeavor was finding the right contact and communication. Since Avani is situated in a remote location and so far away from Rajasthan, communication and timely delivery of the samples always posed a challenge.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Artists & their Crafts

CORR BEAUTY

Mita is an artist (other than being a software engineer turned interior designer) who enjoys working with a variety of materials. At AHH, she is known for her products made from corrugated cardboard. Products ranging from decorative bowls to wall hangings to hanging lamps follow her signature style of design and process that is more aligned to pottery making, but with cardboard. Her products show off intricate patterns attained by rolling narrow strips of corrugated cardboard to form a variety of shapes. 

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Encaustic Art by Arati

Self-taught in Encaustic Art, Arati has been working with this medium since early 2005. Beginning with a starter kit she picked up when living in England, she has produced a collection of more than 800 works of encaustic art. Encaustic painting, which dates back to ancient Greece, in its modern form is done mostly with the help of a heating tool like a small encaustic iron and colored wax blocks to create amazing effects. Other heating tools like hot air gun, stylus and hot plate also can be used. Different surfaces like various kinds of papers, wood, canvas and others can be used.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Discussions with AHH has helped us to decide on launching the new product. AHH has encouraged us to innovate and create new works which in turn gives something new for the visitors to the Collective. The visitors coming to the exhibition are true lovers of handmade and appreciate it genuinely. It’s a great feeling to be a part of this handmade community and connecting with others.

Collaboration -Wall Art Mirrors

The AHH collaboration challenge has proved to be a learning curve for us, pushing us towards artistic endeavors that we have not explored before individually. CORR BEAUTY (Mita) and Encaustic Art by Arati explored ways to amalgamate their individual crafts to develop and launch a new product line – the Wall Art Mirrors.

Bringing two very different materials – corrugated cardboard and encaustic wax –  and two different crafts, make this new product line as unique as it can get! The Wall Art Mirrors are created in different sizes to suit a wide-range of home settings and décor. One may fit perfectly in the lobby or foyer areas whereas another may adorn a living room wall. By itself, a Wall Art Mirror could spruce up an empty wall with its vibrant design and hues.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Ideation

Excited at the opportunity to work together, the two artists spent hours deliberating over getting the right balance between the two crafts to develop sustainable and functional product line. Mutual admiration for each other’s work along with our ability to step back and holistically look at fusion of two different form of arts gave us a foundation to take this step.

We narrowed down our choice of product to mirrors with wide frames that could be embellished with our fusion art. The flat frame surface would allow us to showcase the fusion of the two arts while lending an ethereal feel to the product.

Design

The process consists of various steps: making frames of various sizes, marking areas on the frames for encaustic paints and the corrugated discs followed by encaustic painting and attaching corrugated discs.

The first step was designing and getting the mirrors frames done from a trusted carpenter. The measurement of the border frame to work on was agreed upon and the mirrors asked to be made using good quality plywood. Also important was the decision on the thickness of the plywood based on the sizes of the mirrors.

As the surface was new for our chosen medium of art, we decided to work on sample frames to get an idea of the surface that we would be working on.

While the mirrors were being made, we worked on the designs and colour schemes, right up to the finished edges. We decided to use the beautiful corrugated discs of different sizes and arrange these in different patterns.

The patterns created by the collection of corrugated discs were outlined on the mirrors, ready to be painted with Encaustic. The designs allowed the corrugated discs to be interspersed with the encaustic painting across the frames to create an elegant visual effect.

Execution

Excited to work on something new, we worked on the colour schemes and patterns to be created. We both worked in parallel, with Arati proceeding with Encaustic painting directly on the frames while Mita creating corrugated discs to be arranged on the frame later.

For Arati, the challenge was to keep the mirror, the designs traced for the disc patterns and edges free of any encaustic wax. As wax once heated, will flow no matter what. The weight of the mirrors was another challenge as it could not be moved around to make the wax flow in the required direction.  Working with multiple heat tools like the encaustic iron and hot air gun, along with encaustic brushes and other tools, the mirrors were painted in vibrant encaustic wax, ready for the next step.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Meanwhile, Mita proceeded to create corrugated discs – by cutting corrugated cardboard sheets into thin strips and gently rolling them into discs that expose delicate corrugated cross-sections of the cardboard. She applied different paints and protective layer on the discs – both for protection from the elements as well as to brighten up the corrugated surfaces, lending depth to the honeycomb-like corrugated structures.

All images © 2016-2017 A Hundred Hands.

Once the encaustic painting was done on the frames, the corrugated discs were fixed on the frame as per the outlined designs.

Make sure to visit our 7th Annual Handmade Collective and get your own bunch of ME2WE goodies. 

     Collaboration between member artisans redefines the creative process

           Communicate. Create. Celebrate: The Focus

Taking the skill and art of craftsmanship to a whole new level, A Hundred Hands will launch ME to WE, a unique collaborative initiative at its annual Handmade Collective to be held in Bangalore at the end of November.  ME to WE encourages member artisans of A Hundred Hands to interact with each other, learn from the other’s craft and collaborate and innovate to create a new product that is an amalgamation of two crafts. 50 member artisans will showcase the confluence of this collaboration at The Handmade Collective. 

The Collective will be held at the United Theological College from November 30 to December 4, 2016.

“ME to WE’s uniqueness is its collaborative nature and the willingness of craftspersons to share their craft, learning and skills honed over generations with each other. We created a platform for our members to brainstorm with one another to understand how to blend two different materials and processes to create a new handmade product. The result is a range of products that are distinctive and bring out the uniqueness of each craft but in a collaborative manner,” says Mala Dhawan, co-founder of A Hundred Hands which is a not for profit organization whose focus is to promote handmade arts and crafts and help artisans earn a sustainable livelihood from their craft.  The Annual Handmade Collective provides a platform to encourage interaction between the artisans and the consumers - to learn, appreciate, imbibe, exchange ideas and build a community of those who love working with their hands.

“Collaboration is a brilliant idea. This involves lot of thinking and brainstorming on how to combine different materials, the process involved and the outcome. Production on both the sides has been difficult but it is interesting,” said Vanmala of the Kuprkabi Foundation that teaches Pottery and Ceramic to unemployed youth. “It is a learning process for both. We learn the nuances, working style, materials, and the craft by itself. Unless you fuse and combine, the craft won’t move forward. Fusion has become the talk of the day and is in tune with the world.”

The value that ME to WE offers craftspersons would be the following:

Craftspersons evolve from working alone and often being isolated to interacting with fellow craftspersons

Innovating together. This is specially relevant for traditional craftspersons who, while being excellent at their work, may not necessarily have the insights of what interests a modern, more contemporary audience. The beauty of the project is to not lose the ethos of the craft but to help evolve it, while making it relevant to varied audiences.

Encouraging craftspersons to think beyond their respective art and design.

The Handmade Collective bazaar will have a special section highlighting the ME2WE initiative which will showcase the collaborative work of the 50 craftspersons from handcrafted ‘dhurries’ with ‘bagru’ and ‘ajrakh’ prints to ‘paper mache’ jewellery incorporated with crochet to ‘bastar’ rain sticks with ‘kali ghatti’ art. Also on display will be the craft of other member artisans who did not participate in the ME2WE initiative which is a voluntary initiative. The range includes garments and furnishing, household and garden ware and gifts.  

About A Hundred Hands

A Hundred Hands, is a not for profit trust whose primary focus is to provide a platform for artists involved in the creation of contemporary, handcrafted alternatives for our daily lives. Launched by sisters Mala and Sonia Dhawan, the mission of the Trust is to help artisans earn a fair and sustainable livelihood through their work.

A Hundred Hands is driven by the four I’s:

Innovate: Evolve and reinvent products, designs, mediums and experiences

Interact: Participate! Encourage young people to develop a love of working with their hands and older ones to develop or reignite a hobby.

Inform: Build sensitivity and appreciation not only for the end result of handmade work but also the process and effort involved.

Include: Transcend social and economic barriers to build a community of artists and like-minded individuals.

A Hundred Hands, now seven years old, has been well received across all walks of life. It runs a membership programme for small artists and communities to help them become economically viable and provide a community backbone. Today, the trust has over 80 members, a diverse representation including from underserved and challenged communities, all coming together to help make a living and promote the joy of handcrafted.

When I set my eyes on the range, beauty and uniqueness of these crafts whose lynchpin is preservation of the natural material they are made of, I decided to let the pictures do the talking.

I was dumbstruck at the stunning beauty and originality of these absolutely lovely crafts.

You know instantly that behind each of these is an artist extraordinaire.

Ambidexterous & nimble hands that produce some of the finest pottery and  stoneware.

Fabrics soft as air

embellished with ornate and fine embroidery.

Coir, crochet work, and what have you.

Each one conveying the timeless beauty and elegance of all that is pure and natural.

You have got to see it with your eyes and savor each craft and art.

Natural Weaves, Natural Fibers, Natural Materials.

Breathtakingly beautiful, elegant, unique and chic products. Apparels, home décor, wall art, jewelry,

accessories, woolens and a countless other things!

Ahimsa silk, raw silk, pure silk, malkha, khadi, pure wool, pure cotton,  stone,

natural fiber,quirky wire & metalwork,

mesmerizing paper craft,

natural resin,clay, handcrafted leather..the list as endless as the bounty of nature.

Take home some of the finest and most exclusive handcrafted treasures you are bound to cherish forever.

Gifts that will make the recipients remember you forever for the exclusivity and uniqueness!

Cottons, silks, woolens and khadis dyed with natural colors,

hand woven, hand spun, hand embroidered.

All brought to you under one roof by A Hundred Hands community of artists—award winning artists, serious hobbyists, social entrepreneurs. Join the movement and celebrate “handmade” and natural. Meet the artists @ The Handmade Collective -V (Dec03-07, 2014) , St, Andrew's Church, Cubbon Road, Bangalore 560001.