Craftsmen should make noise

 

Pics by Madusanka Siriwardhane

“Once I wanted to wear a batik shirt and I asked a friend of mine who did batik to make a one for me. He didn’t do it.  So I did it by myself,” Deshabandu Buddhi Keerthisena, a pioneer of Sri Lankan batik industry recalled how his friend’s failure to make him a batik shirt laid the foundation for him to become a batik artiste. “I saw what I was capable of; what I can do with batik designs. I got interested in it and continued to make batik,” he said. Before he became a batik artiste in 1970s, he worked as a journalist and a media officer. Currently, he works as the chairman of the National Craft Council, Ministry of Traditional Industries and small Enterprise Development.

Keerthisena is from Koswadiya, Halpanwila in the Puttalam District. “I went to the village school.” He says he was very reluctant to go to school when he was a kid. “I remember I cried almost everyday, refusing go to school. But later when I started to meet friends and understood how fun school is, I started liking it,” he said that he was interested in art lessons while he was at school. “I did other students’ paintings during exams. I passed and they also passed the subject,” Keerthisena laughed recounting how mischievous he was during his school years.

When asked whether he had a guru to master the art of batik, he said that there is nothing much to learn in the field under a teacher. According to him, success of batik art depends on the artiste’s commitment and interest. “Everything you have to learn, you can learn on your own,” he noted. He also described the process of making batik print. First the design must be drawn on the fabric. Next step is applying colors. “But this step is done using wax. Wax is used to cover the areas which must remain uncolored. Then, starting from the lightest color, the process will continue using layers of colors,” he explained. “Likewise, you can use about six color processes. Applying wax is the most important step,” he added. The final step of making batik is to boil the fabric in hot water to remove wax. Once the fabric is dry, it is ready to use.

Batik creation, which he started as a hobby soon became popular in Sri Lanka as well as in other countries. Since then, ‘Buddhi batik creations’ still maintains its reputation all over the world. Keerthisena held his first overseas exhibition in 1974 and since then has held over a hundred fashion shows and exhibitions in countries including Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Italy, Austria, the UK, USA, Seychelles, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and France. “The first exhibition was difficult for me and it was a failure. It was held in Bonn, Germany; had the best hotel in Hamburg but still, I couldn’t sell a single piece,” he recalled how frustrated he was at his debut international exhibition. “But the second exhibition, also held at Backnang, Germany was a success. I sold almost all my work,” he said proudly. He said that he has noticed that the less urban cities are the best places to showcase creative art since it attracts more buyers than urban cities.

Keerthisena said that there is a good demand for batik creations among local consumers as well as foreign. According to him, quality batik can be sold anytime, anyplace and at any price. “The problem here is we lack people who make quality batik. This goes for handcraft as well,” he pointed out. “If you make quality products there is a high end market for products.” He also said that this happens because the craftsmen do not have a long-term plan or a vision. “They just want to make something and make money out of it. Not that I blame them, but this is the problem,” he reiterated.

He also pointed out that high commissions paid for mediators like tour guide, operators and arts and crafts galleries is another problem faced by handicraftsmen. 

“This is a bigger problem than it appears to be. The craftsman doesn’t get the price he /she deserves when the creation is sold through a middleman. Middleman makes more money than either the shop owner or the tour guide. He has his margins; he buys crafts from the craftsmen for the lowest price they can offer and sells it to the highest price,” he said this must be opposed. He said that unless this is changed that the craftsmen get the real price for their work, handicrafts industry will collapse and ultimately the craftsmen will suffer.

He said that unless craftsmen take to the roads with placards the authorities will not heed their appeals. “I shouldn’t be saying this as the chairman of the National Crafts Council. They don’t make noise. They don’t ask for what they deserve. They are innocent, but extremely creative,” he emphasized. “National Crafts Council has made several proposals for the craftsmen where they will have to work together with the council to make a marketing strategy in which they can be directly involved,” he reiterated.

As Keerthisena explained, Laksala is the marketing arm of the government for craftsmen. If Laksala increases the price given to the craftsmen naturally the other shops will also have to increase the price. “We have been making requests throughout, but we still didn’t receive any positive response,” he said. “They might have their own excuses, but if they don’t increase the prices they pay, they are undermining their own future,” he pointed out. “They should not bargain with the craftsmen, they should bargain with the customers,” he said.

Moreover Keerthisena said that craftsmanship is not transferred from generation to generation now. He said that the low income of craftsman has resulted by this. “If the prices are increased and they start to receive good returns, this situation can be remedied. When the parents’ economy is good, the child will naturally develop an interest in the field,” he said.

The National Crafts Council (NCC) has been established under the Parliamentary Act No. 35 of 1982 for the purpose of promotion, development, fostering and preservation of handicrafts and uplift of social and economic status of craftsmen. “The vision of the NCC is to make the lives of the craftsmen better. We have several programs from training, product development, marketing to educating the craftsmen on technology and buying raw material,” he said. “The three institutes; NCC, National Design Center and Laksala; have to work together for the betterment of the craftsmen,” he added.

Increased raw material prices,  as Keerthisena mentioned, is also a barrier for the craftsmen to produce high-quality creations. “We can’t control this. Prices go up day by day, not only here, but also in the world market,” he emphasized that there is a shortage of local raw material and the price of imported raw material is exorbitant for the small-scale craftsmen. “We already have programs to re-grow raw material like reed or timber. But it will take sometime,” he noted.

Keerthisena also spoke about the handicrafts exhibition scheduled to be held from June 26 to 29. “It’s a means of providing marketing support for the craftsmen. We have similar programs each year in different parts of the country. “In addition, we have the national exhibition and trade fair, Shilpa, where we get to showcase our products,” he said. Shilpa National Exhibition and Award Ceremony for the handicraft and small industrialists will be held in August at the BMICH. He also mentioned that he is trying to increase cash prices given to winner of these exhibitions. Craftsmen selected from all over the country will showcase their creations at these exhibitions.

Keethisena said that he cannot be 100 percent satisfied with the situation of the artistes in general. “It is the way of our society, it is our economy. If you take a European artiste, he is recognized and he can sell his products to the highest bidder. It is the way of their economy,” he explained. “Our economy is comparatively small; therefore our income and turnover is naturally low,” he opined. He said that he is satisfied with the programs run by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs as well as the Ministry of Traditional Industries to promote the crafts as well as the craftsmen.

He believes that the corporate sector should also join their efforts to promote local craftsmen. “They use local crafts to promote themselves in their marketing and advertising. It is high time they support to promote them also in return,” he urged.  “They have a lot of money which they earn using these crafts. They can utilize this revenue for the betterment of the field. At least they can sponsor a cash prize of an exhibition, for example,” he added. He said that they have tried to reach out to the corporate sector for sponsorships but their efforts were ineffective.

He reiterated that the craftsmen should take responsibly for uplifting the quality of their own lives. “They should not remain idle, expecting everything to be handed to them. They must have their own societies to promote themselves and market their product without waiting for someone else to promote them,” he said.

Originally published: http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/30427-craftsmen-should-make-noise.html