| Thursday, May 26, 2011 | |||
India, known for its rich cultural heritage, is also the home ground for authentic art forms. However, the artisans responsible for crafting such pieces never get to showcase their artwork to the customers directly. With the sole purpose of filling in this gap, Neha Gandhi, founded Matsya Crafts By Vinnie Bhadra
Starting out Started in October 2009, Matsya, meaning ‘fish’ in Sanskrit, is symbolised as motifs in tribal art across the world. True to this interpretation in craft terms, Neha’s brand focuses on bringing forth interesting handicrafts and presenting them in a contemporary way. The idea of Matsya came about when Neha was working with an NGO in Mumbai and Ahmedabad. During her tenure, she understood the issues faced by the local artisans on a regular basis. “If given a chance, the modern buyer can totally fall in love with the various art forms that different villages in India represent. Every village in every state has a distinct identity in terms of art. The artisans and NGOs face issues such as lack of market knowledge, lack of capacity building, artisans struggling for fair wages, and sell their art works directly to the market instead of going through middlemen,” says Neha. In an effort to bridge this gap, Neha started Matsya Crafts to give a fair chance to the artisans as well as the customers in terms of buying and selling opportunities. Neha herself is a qualified ceramic artist from Sir JJ School of Fine Arts, Mumbai. “Post the earthquake in 2001, I embarked on my journey to Kutch where I was exposed to the rich culture and traditions of Gujarat. I worked with artisans directly and was also associated with NGOs engaged with craftspeople, fair-trade organisations in Mumbai and individual professionals in the craft industry,” adds Neha.
Funding The concept being more of practical work rather than investing, Neha did not have to start off with a very large sum. “My initial investment to kick-start my concept was Rs. 10,000. I am seeing a positive turn in the profit and loss statement. However, I am being patient in terms of the money rolling in, as I know my concept will take sometime to pick up,” she says. ConceptIf you are fond of Indian crafts, but not sure where to find ethnic and reasonably priced pieces, Matsya Crafts solves the problem. “I buy from the artisans in the village and bring it to the urban consumer; hence, I am trying to break the big supply chain which will help in pricing these products reasonably. These art forms are our heritage and if I can be successful in spreading the word, I shall consider my job done,” adds Neha. Matsya is a platform to create awareness about the skills, time and creativity that these artisans invest in making them, and how our purchasing choices directly impact the livelihoods of several artisans and ensures that these crafts survive the test of time,” explains Neha. She adds an example, “After I promoted the crafts of Kutch, it not only educated people about the handicraft traditions of the area, but also made many want to visit Kutch to experience the rich culture.” Challenges Neha considers herself to be a social entrepreneur, and considering that she puts forth the common challenges that a social entrepreneur is bound to face in a growing economy as India. “The biggest challenge is to reach the fair trade markets and buyers. The second step is to channelise the distribution system, which can be a Herculean task. I have to grab all possible opportunities that come my way to reach out to more and more people, network and collaborate,” says Neha. Future plans While Matsya is already making ripples in the craft stream, Neha has miles to go. In the coming months, she plans to reach out to more artisans and art forms, collaborate on craft projects, work on income generation programmes with NGOs, participate in more events and exhibitions, and organise craft tours. |
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