North East Crafts Bazaar-Exhibition in South Africa

North East Crafts Bazaar in South Africa will be displaying exquisite traditional crafts by artists from north-eastern states.The crafts will also be showcased in Johannesburg (South Africa) in March 2009.

Promoting the sale of art and crafts from the north-east, the exhibition displays handicraft objects made of bamboo, cane, jute and grass straw, handloom weaving, artistic textile weaving, woodcarvings embroidery, lampshades, purses, furniture, jewellery, brass, and basketry.

The hand-woven fabrics with symbolic ornamentation of Assam culture, toys and dolls made up of straw and clay, cushions and mattress made up of kauna grass of Manipur, endi silk weaving and pineapple fibre articles of Meghalaya are the centre of attraction.

Demonstrating a mattress made of kauna grass, Chanchal, an artist from Imphal (Manipur) said, “This grass is spongy inside and being a water weed, the artifacts made up of it are washable and durable. Its baskets look attractive due to delicate handwork and are strong enough to carry heavy things.”

Around 100 craftspersons from north-eastern states are participating in the exhibition.

The aim of this exhibition is to expose and promote the skills of artists from the interior of north-east region.The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC) provides technical and marketing training to artists and organises 10-15 exhibitions.The Ministry of Textiles extends the financial assistance.The exhibition, open from 10 am to 9 pm, will conclude on January 26 2009.