Busy from a meeting, Abhinaya joins me in the shaded garden cafe, despite the immense workload she has, even during the weekend. We take some time to order from the menu, and as the sun steadily sets in the distant horizon, a laid-back Sunday conversation follows as she tells me how “The Artist Project” started for her.
I completed Architecture last year and I immediately took up a job at a firm in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai; I was working on “The Artist Project” side by side. The two were always independent of each other. I feel that for any person in a creative field, the composition and conglomeration of everything coming together is what’s important. So, it was quite easy for me to initiate something like The Artist Project.
So, about The Artist Project, what inspired you to start something like this?
Well, when I was in 4th year, I interned in Bangalore. I used to travel every weekend, somewhere in and around Karnataka. After work on Saturdays, I would go directly to Majestic bus stand and just take a random bus and go somewhere! I started meeting a lot of people this way. During one of these travels, I visited a village called Chennapatna, on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, where they make small wooden toys, which are distributed to all over India and even abroad! Most wooden articles that are exported from the country are made here. But when you go there, you will see only around 10 small stores; that’s all that’s there. When I met and spoke to the artisans, I realized that they were exactly where they started – they haven’t gone any level higher. They still have a small backyard for a workshop, the tiny shop they started with and that’s about it. The middlemen who sell their craftwork are the ones making all the money and the artisans don’t even know their products’ value, in spite it being shipped to places like Singapore, Indonesia etc.
Chennapatna is not a place where tourists go, so the artisans were aware of only a small regional audience and had no idea how much scope there was outside. It was disheartening because they put a lot of effort, time and skill to it and I felt that there needs to be something motivating them. Otherwise, eventually, they are going to lose interest in their art, if it doesn’t reward them that well. The only thing that was pushing them to continue this was the thought that they need to pass it on to their future generations. And when someone is ready to consider this, then why not push them. The point is for them to be in their comfort zone, do what they like and do what they are good at and what they want to pass on to the next generations. If not getting rewarded or sufficient remuneration is what’s stopping you from doing your craft, then I’ll take care of it.
It’s not a sympathetic approach but a more practical and easy way to help. It’s not like I’m losing anything, I just have to spend some time on it and sometimes take care of the shipping and packaging.
Handcrafted lampshades, by Venkatramana & Ramadass. Photo by Madhanagopal.
Around what time did you start The Artist Project?
Once I finished my thesis, I was talking with a few friends about these “Handmade craft websites” which benefited only the middlemen and not the artisans themselves, and are all so cluttered and difficult to navigate through; it seemed more like a business than anything else. Now that I’d finished my undergraduate degree, I started thinking about doing something about this situation. But since I didn’t have the financial resources and didn’t know how the audience would take to this, I started with an existing platform; I opened a Facebook page and decided that if this picks up well, then I can make it wider.
And it did get very wide and grew into a highly successful venture.
Yes! The response initially was very overwhelming, so much so that I didn’t know how to cope with it. I started doubting what I had gotten myself into! But I also realized I wasn’t alone, and I wasn’t the only one thinking this way. When people realized that something like this was happening, they started suggesting artisans whom they knew would benefit out of this. I do a small background check and then contact them. That’s how it works. Most of these craftsmen don’t have access to good communication. One of the artists we work with doesn’t even have a phone! If I have to inform him of an order, I need to call the store next to his house to get in touch.
So, you started this mainly to bring the craftsmen to the fore, as opposed to just their crafts?
Yes, it’s very simple; my point is if you’re buying handmade products, you buy it for the fact that it is made by hand and for the fact that it’s personal. So why don’t you know who made it? If you’re ready to buy something because it’s handmade, then you might as well know the hands who made it. Wouldn’t that give you the back-story for something that is part of your house?
The amount of work involved looks like a lot! Do you manage it all alone, or do you have a team?
I would ideally, given a chance, quit everything and just go from place to place, find these artists who benefit and put them and their work in the front. Initially, I did think about getting a team – but the problem was, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t look at this like a business initiative. And then, a year ago, Mukesh joined with me as an intern and is now the Creative Director, he manages a lot of the work! He takes care of speaking to the artists and making sure the products reach the customers.
Handmade shoes, by Rajasekaran, Auroville. Photo: Vanashri Umrania.
How long did it take for you to figure out all the shipping and logistics? Most of the artists you work with are scattered across the country!
Well, some of the artists do their own shipping. There have been some cases of bad shipping, though. The first ever product that we shipped, a set of glass-bangle tea glass holders and glass bangle lampshades, went shattered to the customer’s house! Though we were able to handle that fiasco, I completely lost confidence and was so doubtful as to what I had gotten myself into. The whole project was a trial and error project. I have artists who package beautifully. Rajasekaran, a footwear maker from Auroville, packages all his items and ships them. There’s another artist, Amrita Giriraj, who makes jewelry out of passed over plants and flowers. When we had the floods, this artist’s garden got completely savaged and she revived whatever plants she could from the debris. And fossilized them and made pendants, rings.
Plant debris made into delightfully pretty trinkets, by Amrita Giriraj. Photo: Madhanagopal.
This is a completely not-for-profit venture; how do you manage any running costs that arise?
Yes, we work in the same module as a non-profit organization, so we have zero revenue. But in some cases, we must take extra efforts. For instance -there’s an artist in Gujarat whose nearest post office is 30 km away. So, it’s impossible for him to dispatch sudden orders. He ships his items to me in bulk, and I dispatch it whenever orders come in. The double-shipping charges are added to the customer’s bill and all the charges are transparent. We make sure to keep the costs as minimal as possible.
Handmade bells and crafts, by Luhar Husen, Gujarat. Photo: Venkat Balaji.
So, how long has it been since you started this venture? And how has this evolved over this time?
It’s been a year and a half now. It was initially just a small nucleus and now I can see more layers adding on to it. We have now started “Sunday shout outs” on our Instagram page, where every Sunday we feature one illustrator, photographer or any artist – anyone else who would not fit into our Facebook page module. And, I didn’t want to put a price on that kind of art. I feel that art on canvas is probably the purest form of art and if I’m a painter, I wouldn’t want someone to sell my art on Facebook. It’s a lot more personal than a handmade craft; craft artisans can replicate a product – there would be slight variations but they will be able to replicate it almost the same. But a painting is not like that.
Did you expect this much recognition to come your way?
It’s good in a way, many people read magazines and newspapers reach more people than social media. There have been so many people who got in touch with me because of the articles in the papers, rather than the page. And so, sometimes, I feel I don’t even need a team – because everybody is helping me out. It would be very ungrateful to say I’m doing this alone. From the beginning, there have been so many people helping me – with respect to moral support, contacts, picking up packages etc. Today I know at least 5 people to go to in each state. Everybody is trying to contribute what they can and that’s great.
So, from Architecture, this is a completely different line. Did this stem, in any way, from that?
Definitely. Subconsciously, I feel an aesthetic sense comes with that. If I see a product, I will be able to tell the artist whether I can take it as it is, or whether he should make certain amendments. The artisans are from a whole other part of the country and do not know the audience that I’m catering to. I have to tell them to alter a few things sometimes; for example, I suggest application of acrylic or glass on top of a painted wooden coaster so that in the long run, the product still stands. When you go to Rajasthan and see a product with no acrylic sheet over it, it might look authentic in that setting. But if I’m going to take a picture of that same thing and put it up over here, over time it may fade – then I will be at fault. Because we studied architecture, it’s very easy for us to connect the dots very quickly -aesthetically, functionally – it all has to come together for it to work, just like a building.
Hand-woven mats, by Swaminathan. Photo: Madhulika Kapilavayi.
You said you would love to do this all time, so, any plans of leaving Architecture and making this bigger?
Not anytime soon. I haven’t yet built anything major for me to feel content with my work. I love the firm I’m working with right now. We do a lot of restaurants and bars and residences and it’s a very fun and quirky team.
There are so many of us who just have ideas. When we study, we go to so many places and see so many things and want to start so many things - but many people fear to take the step to actually do it. What helped you take this forward?
My friends and my parents were very supportive, there is no way I could have dealt with this all by myself. In the initial days, I used to have a lot of nervous breakdowns – I didn’t know what I had gotten myself into it. They were always the force behind me, telling me that I’ll get through this. To my parents, this was expected – from childhood I’ve done things like this, like melting crayons somewhere to see how the colours drop(laughs). My mom was my major marketing manager. She went all out – spamming everyone one on WhatsApp and Facebook. Before the page went out, I already had orders!
So, you’re currently managing two diverse lines simultaneously.
(Laughs) I don’t see this as me juggling two things, I just see it as part of my daily routine – like two parts to the same person. When you start looking at it like that, it becomes very simple.
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Abhinaya Rangarajan is a practicing Architect, who pioneered the non-profit organization called The Artist Project. From delicate handmade bells from Nirona village, Gujarat to the intricately carved wood combs from Nagina, Uttar Pradesh – She finds and promotes dying handmade crafts across India to ensure their longevity and dissolve the greed of middle-men. If you want to place any orders, know of anyone who can benefit from this project, or wish to support them in any way, you can find them on Facebook or Instagram.
