Nurturing Rural Art in India: Supporting rural talent, entrepreneurship, and education

In a country like India whose culture is as diverse and varied as the people who make up its population, art is an invaluable part of its social currency. Passed down from generation to generation, India’s folk art is the secret ingredient that forms the epicenter of the country’s rich heritage and serves as a looking glass into bygone eras. Whether it’s the delicate art of Dhokra which dates back to the Mohenjo Daro civilization, the intricate silver and gold zari work in Varanasi’s Banarasi Sarees, or the 2000-year-old technique of block printing — each form tells a very distinct tale of history, created with a skill that is ancestral and almost genetic.

But over the years as India has industrialized with technology breeding the era of hyper-consumerism, local art and artists have felt the struggle to balance the precarious act of sustaining tradition and making a living. With everything from fast fashion to fast art, decades of skill and exquisite craftsmanship have taken a backseat, overshadowed by machine-made products created with the sole purpose to satiate immediate wants that are instigated by what’s trending. Further aggravating the scenario is the growing insurgence of globalization with foreign influences stealing the limelight from local talent.

And while it may seem that India’s illustrious legacy of distinctive rural art forms could have soon been left for the archives – initiatives like Make in India, the National Handicraft Development Programme, and many such programs like this have put the focus back on local creations and production.

Addressing inherent challenges that range from insufficient funds, a lack of a proper institutional framework to low penetration of technology need to be highlighted, with efforts first beginning through heightened awareness. Given the vast nature of this network, the need for national and even international exposure is critical to the survival of rural art. And to some extent progress has been made with savvy netizens as well as social media leading the charge with trends like #VocalForLocal. In fact initiatives like AD Design Show’s ‘Power to the Karigar’ — which highlighted artisans like Ramzubhai Kumbhar who from his humble village in Ahmedabad is keeping the 8000-year-old tradition of Kutch pottery alive — brings these almost forgotten art forms back into the spotlight.

Technology too presents unique opportunities for rural art to gain a global platform. With eCommerce leading the charge, artisans now have the opportunity to present their creations to a wider audience from the comfort of their own hometowns. This of course is not possible without creating an infrastructure that enables them to access these connections. Deeper internet penetration and access, as well as basic training and upskilling, could lead to a future of budding ‘artpreneurs’ in every pocket of the country.

Inciting foundational and sustainable change requires the creation of a multitude of business opportunities, as well as financial support to these communities. This is where institutional level or even on a privatized level, skill developments programs play a vital role. It’s the age-old adage of ‘teach a man to fish’. While most of these artisans operate in an almost seasonal and informal work environment if grass-root level business training is provided these local artists have a chance to gradually build a career of their own and generate a steady source of income.

A key takeaway from these initiatives and observations is that to nurture India’s thriving rural art scene, mobilization on an individual, institutional and private level needs to become a core priority. This community, which is an integral part of India’s social construct, must be empowered with the necessary tools and exposure to seize control of their trade’s future as well as their own.