For the first time, chic, urban craft trends enigmatically nurtured by an unusual group of Lankan seniors have entered the domestic marketplace. “We congratulate your innovative approach and wish you success in our crafts market,” said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen speaking at the launch event of Shilpa Saviya crafts entrepreneur exhibition by National Crafts Council at Jaguar Land Rover showroom.
The national exhibition, along with traditional crafts, featured emerging urban crafts for the first time. Some of the urban crafts were nurtured by senior Lankan traditional craftsmen who seemed pleased to pass down their intangible knowhow downstream.
“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.”
There are 25,000 Sri Lankan craftsmen registered with the National Crafts Council and 90% of them are women.
“The Craft Council is making many efforts to develop our designs and product quality with training and taking the craftsmen to such important global destinations as Thailand Australia and Malaysia. We have finalized all work on the twenty five 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. Therefore any support for this sector is empowering our rural women and supporting them.”
“The Colombo Design Market is an upcoming platform for artisans and designers in Sri Lanka” said Ms Alifiya Mutaher, Founder of Colombo Design Market.
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