For more than a decade now, A Hundred Hands — a collective of handmade goods and artisans, has been a vivacious exposition organized at different culturally-effervescent spaces in Bangalore. This year, it was hosted at the sleekly-designed Bangalore International Centre, a mixed-use public facility. As always, every inch of the floor space was overflowing with bright colours, textures, silhouettes and artware. The writing on the wall was bold and clear: support sustainable and indigenous art. An exclusive photo feature and event roundup by Asrashaheen.in
An eye-catching hand-done tapestry of a massive size attracts you with its indigo vines and floral motifs and an outlined colour pop of the ubiquitous “hand”. The artwork is suspended on one end of the spacious ground floor hall of the Bangalore International Centre (BIC). Another huge canvas of a colourfully handcrafted patchwork draws you to the opposite side of the foyer. Just as you stop by to admire it, a vividly hand-painted stairway wall behind it enchants you along the flight to the first storey. Every inch of the floor space was overflowing with hues, textures, silhouettes, frames and artware at A Hundred Hands (November 24 to 28, 2021). A visual treat of sorts, truly!
At the Edition XI of the collective, the writing on the wall (quite literally!) was very bold and clear: gathering support for sustainable and indigenous art. Almost 110 artisans from different states of India participated in the expo. The eco-friendly products, crafted with natural paints and dyes, skillfully blended heritage traditions with contemporary sensibilities.
For more than a decade now, A Hundred Hands — a collective of handmade goods and artisans, has been a vivacious exposition being organized in the culturally-effervescent spaces of Bangalore. This time, it was hosted at the sleekly-designed BIC, a mixed-use public facility that reflects the ethos of the dynamic and futuristic aspirations the city dwellers. The interesting architecture of the Centre was indeed an apt venue for art event.
One is undoubtedly spoilt for choice with a wide variety of handcrafted products. But it’s also hard to miss the vibrant paraphernalia around. Equally infectious is the pepped up energy levels of the artisans, buzzing mood of art businesses and the pulsating vibes of the art-loving Bangaloreans, who braved the extended rain spells compounding the bad roads of the city to reach the venue.
The collective was instituted in 2010 by sisters Mala and Sonia Dhawan with the vision of providing a platform for artisans and their patrons. The pandemic has been extremely challenging for artisans and small businesses. This year’s event was indeed a morale booster for them and a delightful gala for the yearning handicraft enthusiasts.
An exclusive photo feature and event roundup by Asrashaheen.in
