Ancient heritage, modern homes

Ancient heritage, modern homes

Celebration of heritage - in the traditional arts and crafts - is not one to be doubted, especially with increasing awareness in revival realisations happening to preserve our arts. Yet, while consciousness and loud calls prevail in saving the art of handmade crafts, the ground realities of actual conservation do not appear so rosy or conducive for taking forward on a significant scale. The question then arises: are we staring at a scenario of disappearing heritage?

Sensitive to this situation, the Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID), Bangalore Regional Chapter, along with Sri Sri Rural Development Program, recently hosted a conversation on heritage and its conservation through possible uses in contemporary built spaces.

The discussion began on the note of traditional crafts increasingly failing to be passed down generations as was done in the past, with the arts and crafts losing the core fabric of the intricate skills imparted and learnt over a lengthy period.

While this scenario was sought to be circumvented by starting of specific skill centres geared to impart this skilling and knowledge to those choosing to enter this segment, the challenges of incorporating the traditional arts and crafts on a large scale into contemporary interiors was brought to the fore, as “a significant market is the basis for any art or craft to survive and flourish.”

Commenting on this, Architect Prathima Seethur of Wright Inspires stated, “The chief issue here is the limited awareness, starting from children to adults, on the extent of skill-sets, traditional elements and heritage our country harbours. This is the case in also the eagerness to imbibe the same into the lifestyle.”

She said, it is important to enable our future generation to appreciate as well as adapt these into their lifestyle. “Besides, skilling should go beyond the fabric of being passed down generations to keep the heritage alive.”

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