Terracotta Exhibition in Bangalore

KUMBHAM
invites u for an exhibition of their latest terracotta creations at

Desi
27, Patalamma Temple Street, Near South end circle
Basavangudi, Bangalore-04
15 to 19 February 2006

Products on display.
Microwave safe terracotta containers, Cooking vessels, curd setter, Toy set.

Work Table Accessories; Pen stand, Name plate, Paper weight, Pin tray, Clock stand, Photo frame, Trays.

Kitchen and Table ware: Dinner set, Cutlery stand, Cooking vessels, Tava, Jars, Jugs, Pots, Mugs.

Architectural/household: Decorative tiles, Framed Murals, Wall lamp, Letter box, Magazine holder, Soap dish, Tooth brush holder, Coffee table, Architectural column.

Landscaping Products; Bird bath, Urns, path lamp. garden lamp, frogs, tortoise, Mushrooms.
And several more...........

Jinan
www.kumbham.org
09447121544,04931 221568,0487 2386723
Aruvacode, Nilambur-679329,Kerala.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/terracotta_murals/

Kumbham

As modernity and liberalization ruthlessly sweeps into dusty corners the lives of hundred and thousands of artisans, stray instances of 'recovery' are beginning to stand out as milestones. Kumbham presents the story of an artisan village recapturing the craft they had
all but lost, and redefining it to the contemporary world.

What began as a quest for identity or authenticity or even redemption of the self, led to the crystallization of 'Kumbham': an initiative with a two-fold concern. On the one hand, the search for the lost cultural roots of people like myself, who have been systematically stripped off our innate sensibilities through a process of formal education while on the other hand, simultaneously engaging a community of potters in a continuing experiment to give the traditional pottery to the new and varied needs of an urban market, grown from within their traditional repositories of
knowledge.

Located in Aruvacode, a tiny hamlet near Nilambur in Malapuram District of Kerala, India, Kumbham has attracted some 80 odd potters to affiliate with it to varying degrees, since its beginnings in 1993. In a long and arduous voyage of discovery commencing then, the community as a whole has witnessed a dramatic turn-around: from being on the verge of dissolution as
an impoverished artisan community to a resurgent group of potters whose craft was once again wanted.The kumbham iniative is being hailed as a rare instance of a traditional artisan community rehabilitating itself through the very craft they had been alienated from.

Today, Kumbham can rightfully claim to have facilitated a product range of over 500 designs, including kitchen and household ware; garden furniture and landscaping products and murals and architectural accessories.

More significant but also less visible to the outside world, is Kumbham's contribution to the rehabilitation of an entire community of traditional crafts persons. Their growing confidence in their ability to design and produce saleable terra-cotta ware without recourse to
'development consultants' or 'improved technologies' is a measure of their heightened self-worth and in all probability a change that will outlast Kumbham itself.

There are unresolved problems however, especially those originating from the dichotomy prevailing between the cultures of the producers and consumers of Kumbham-ware. Indeed the long-term prospects of the Kumbham project will depend to a large extent on the degree to which consumer cultures are replaced by more humane ones that are keenly aware of the inter-dependent nature of the survival and evolutionary needs of the species.

PRODUCTS
Right from the beginning we have been perusing the idea of contemporizing the traditional craft skills to meet the changing life styles of urban people. One of the most important contributions of kumbham is in developing products to meet the requirements of modern architecture.

From murals to adorn the walls and various products for interiors like mirror frames and different type of lamps and in landscaping water cascading, birdbath, urns etc

Product development and experimenting with new ideas is an ongoing process for KUMBHAM, by closely observing urban lifestyles, we are developing new product ideas and the latest being containers that could be used in microwave ovens.

Jinan,
Kumbham, Aruvacode, Nilambur, Kerala- 679 329
Phone: 0493 221568, 221544. Fax: 04931 226390
E-mail: kumbhammurals@rediffmail.com
Web site: www.kumbham.org