KB Jinan, a designer, began his association with the artisans of Kumbham during 1992. K B Jinan in association with Kumbham artisans created the murals at Shilpakalavedika, Hyderabad.
Kumbham is “the story of an artisan village recapturing the craft they had almost lost, and redefining it for the contemporary world”. He helped revive and ensure the sustainability of the craft by providing help in redesigning products for contemporary needs and developing the tools required to make them. It was a joint exploration for him and the artisans. Today, there are around 80 potters affiliated with Kumbham. Their joint explorations for the revival and sustainability of the potter craft helped the artisans realise their latent creativity and skills and enabled them to create their tools.
Kumbham now has a product range of over 500 designs which include household and kitchen items, office stationery, sculptures, garden and landscaping products, and architectural and interior décor accessories like tiles and murals. Now the aesthetically produced Kumbham murals and other products grace ecotourism resorts and corporate houses and are known for their unique character arising from a linking of contemporary requirements and traditional craftsmanship.
“As modernity and liberalisation ruthlessly sweeps into dusty corners the lives of thousands of artisans, stray instances of ‘recovery’ are beginning to stand out as milestones.Jinan began his association with these artisans in 1992. Their joint explorations for the revival and sustainability of the potter craft helped the artisans realise their latent creativity and skills, enabled them to create their tools, designs and products. Kumbham Pottery was thus born,” says K B Jinan.
Jinan will be in Hyderabad to talk about Re-living Childhood: Re-connecting to the roots on March 23 and 24 at Our Sacred Space.
For details contact: 9030613344, 9030013344