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When we consider the handloom industry in Kerala, traditional crafts have always been an outcome of a pleasant interaction between mankind and nature. Ancient communities worked around their homes with no pressure of deadlines, no planning or commands to follow. They were an integral part of the handloom brands in India and handcrafted beautiful utilitarian artifacts out of their imagination. An object to suffice a daily chore; to satisfy a need of faith; an artistic expression or just a means to hone the dexterity of a pair of hands. In many cases, these crafts became proof of the existence of civilizations. The handloom of Kerala and handicrafts had their importance even at that age!
Deep at its core, a craft holds the myths, legends, and faiths that lent it its form. These stories desperately need to be shared with the modern-day audience. They not only help society to appreciate the craft but also offer many lessons about humble living. It’s the transfer of this value-system that is more important than the craft itself.
The handloom textiles of India and handicrafts have gone through and survived many a storm at the hands of increased industrialization and the overall paradigm shifts in the crafts’ production and consumption ecosystem. The global consumer is now slowly waking up to the actual ecological price that the increasingly mechanized and plastic-addicted industries entail. They are now, more willing than ever before to hear and pay heed to the tales of craft.
The Graamyam project was conceived to play the key role of storytelling and to bring social and commercial benefits to the artisan communities. We desire to become the instrument through which the artisans can connect with the global audience. We strive to be the resource that helps craft sell not as objects but as stories and ideologies. We are trying to make not just ‘sales’ but ‘dialogues’ between the craftsmen and their patrons, encouraging ‘co-creation possibilities and collective growth. We are committed to keeping all the good practices intact and all processes humane, fair, and ecologically balanced.
Taking into account the handloom textiles of India, we don’t fit into the box! We identify and recognize talented artisans and show their faces up front.
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