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bullet Activities

bullet Regional Country Report, WCC-APR 2004 - 2008

bullet 31st WCC-APR General Assembly November 4 - 12, 2008 - Hangzhou, China

bullet Third Wedding Works Promotion, Malaysia, July, 2008

bullet Asia Pacific Crafts Demonstration In Conjunction With Malaysia National Craft Day, 2008

bullet Nusantara Craft Promotion

bullet Malaysia week in London, 2006

bullet WCC Asia Pacific Dialogue, 2006

bullet National Craft Day, 2006

bullet Archives

  bullet Betel Nut and Leaf Accessories - Exhibition

  bullet WCC -- Paris

  bullet LAOS -- PDR

bullet Embroidery

bullet UNESCO Crafts Prize - 2001

bullet Malaysia -Kuala Lumpur

bullet WEFT 2001

bullet Regional President's Tour of Central Asia 

bullet Golden Jubilee Celebration and WCC Asia-Pacific Region Business Meet

bullet The Regional Craft Improvement Workshop - Exhibition

bullet The Young Craftspersons Competition

bullet UNESCO Crafts Prize - 2003

bullet Kamaladevi Centenary Celebrations

bullet Kamaladevi Awards and Kamala Samman

bullet WEFT 2003

bullet WCC Asia Pacific 26th Regional Meeting -- Dhaka

bullet 1st Exhibition of Iranian Women Handicrafts

bullet International Congress on Bamboo (Bamboo Forum, Exhibition & Trade Fair)

bullet WCC Asia Pacific 27th Regional Assembly, Metsovo -- Greece

bullet An International Jewellery Convention -- "Grass to Gold"

bullet UNESCO South Asian Seal of Excellence 2004

bullet International Design and Product Development Programme / Workshop

bullet International Byers - Sellers Meet (IBSM)

 

 

 


Kamaladevi Centenary Celebrations

 

The Crafts Council of India celebrated the birth centenary of its founder Smt. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay (1903 - 1988) with a string of events in her home state, Karnataka.

Karmayogi, woman of great courage, freedom fighter, woman with queenly dignity and composure, a versatile personality are a host of adjectives that can be used to describe Smt. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, the force behind the resurgence of traditional Indian crafts in post independent India. A woman ahead of her times, she set up the All India Handicrafts Board, The Crafts Council of India and its affiliate bodies and the Regional Handicrafts Design Centers. She was also the first president of the World Crafts Council Asia Pacific Region.

  Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay

The events of the centenary celebrations included the following:

  • An international exhibition on vegetable-dyed crafts of the Asia - Pacific region.
  • An exhibition and sale of crafts from Karnataka's noteworthy craftspersons who have worked with Kamaladevi.
  • A two day seminar titled "Indian Crafts for a New Generation" and exhibits commemorating Smt. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay's life and work.
  • Rangeen - An International Natural Dye exhibition in which India, Malaysia, Thailand and Bangladesh participated.
  • Kamala 2003, the annual exhibition of quality crafts in which Crafts Council of India and the State Councils participated.
  • Kamala Collection, a selection of specially produced craft items from the Crafts Council of India and its affiliated state councils developed for the last 10 Kamala Exhibitions. This will be curated into a trade show and expects to travel all over India and to UK and USA.
  • Navodit, an interesting exhibition / sale by the Young Craftspersons from various parts of India
  • Chamba Rumaal, a revival exhibition in which the Delhi Crafts Council has worked towards the revival of near extinct craft of Embroidery - Chamba Rumaal. (Chamba in Himachal Pradesh has a tradition of fine embroidery done on large sqares of cloth, usually on mythological themes)
  • Kamaladevi's life and work : An exhibition organised by SMM Theatre Craft Trust. This is a collection of theatre craft items like puppets, costumes and jewellery all used by various traditional Indian theatre groups. This was collected through the life time of Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and is housed in New Delhi. This was the first time this exhibition has traveled out of New Delhi.

A book titled "Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay - A True Karmayogi" published by the Crafts Council of India was released during the inaugural function by the Governor of Karnataka, His Excellency T. N. Chaturvedi.

The "Kamala Samman" awards 2003 was distributed during this celebration by the Governor of Karnataka Shri T. N. Chaturvedi to five artisans. The winners of the "Kamala Samman" awards 2003 are shown in the picture below:

Kamala Sammaan

Left to Right: Mrs. Vimala Rangachar, Governor of Karnataka, His Excellency T. N. Chaturvedi, Desamanya (Mrs.) Siva Obeyesekere of Sri Lanka (award winner), two award award winning craftsmen, Mrs. Vijaya Rajan (award winner), Ms. Rani Satish, Minister of Culture, Karnataka and Jasleen Dhamija.