Urban and regional crafts designers cross share expertise at Shilpa Saviya

Cross sharing of expertise between urban crafts designers and traditional local craftsmen resulted in a unique range of crafts entering into the domestic marketplace, at the ‘Shilpa Saviya’ exhibition, according to a communiqué from the Industry and Commerce Ministry.

“We congratulate your innovative approach and wish you success in our crafts market,” Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen said last week at the launch of the exhibition.

Along with traditional crafts, emerging urban crafts were featured for the first time at the exhibition. Some of the urban crafts were nurtured by senior Sri Lankan traditional craftsmen who were pleased to pass down their intangible knowhow downstream.

He noted that over 25,000 craftsmen are registered with the National Crafts Council (NCC) and are continuously trying to bring out new designs and creations to both local and international markets. 

Colombo Design Market Founder Alifiya Mutaher said that the Colombo Design Market acted as a platform, connecting urban designers with traditional craftsmen.
“We bring them together in one platform for them to meet each other. This Shilpa Saviya by the NCC is a good opportunity for Lankan urban creatives who are exposed to global trends to connect to our crafts people to learn from them as well as our traditional craftsmen to access the market opportunities,” she said.
Bathiudeen said that the innovative approach will help take traditional craftsmen to markets such as Thailand, Australia and Malaysia.

“This event is yet another important step by the government to strengthen the capacity of Sri Lanka’s crafts tradition and our craftsmen. It also focuses on developing entrepreneurial skills of our craftsmen and linking them to international buyers,” he said.

He revealed that his ministry is now ready to establish sub-craft councils. 

“We have finalized all work on the 25 new District Craft Councils to be established for the first time in Sri Lanka to help regional craftsmen and provide them a voice that has been not available to them in all these years,” he said.

Bathiudeen noted that since 90 percent of our craftsmen are women, any support for this sector empowers rural women.

World Crafts Council (WCC) Asia Pacific Region President Ghada Hijjawi Qaddumi, who was in attendance, said that she was impressed by Sri Lankan arts and craftsmanship and invited Sri Lanka to nominate one Sri Lankan city or village specialized in a specific craft as a World Crafts City and to apply to the WCC to that effect.