Spinning for a bigger vision
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: June 29 2015 -
Human creativity lies in creative transformation of the material world into the human world. This transformation has been witnessed evidently not only in performative arts but also in the craft and artefacts produced by the people in the Northeastern region of India.
While the tribes and communities have taken immense pride in exhibiting their distinct crafts and arts, over a period of time, subtle changes have impacted the way the people have conceptualized endless designs.
Starting with the simplest form of basket making to most complicated fine works of weaving and jewellery making or even in the art of building traditional houses, motifs and artefacts are created from the material resources available in the environment.
However, ever since the advent of vigorous contact with the outside world in the post British colonial dispensation, changes are gradually being witnessed in their way of life leading to major transformation in creativity.
The first impression of creativity gets translated into design patterns in the day today use of the shawls or clothing with numerous patterns conveying definitive meanings with functional values.
With emphasis and prominence given to traditional motifs and designs, there has been a process of renewed interest in the ways of weaving traditional clothes with delicate handloom woven designs as distinct from those made by modern looms.
What is even more significant is the fact that there are textile products and designs for almost every occasion in life specifically worn by the people.
The production of clothing or textile wear starts with a universally inherited profession of weaving.
Each community of the Northeast has specific designed patterns using colours that signify differently generated meaning drawn from the surrounding environment.
Each of the communities has different approach to spinning and weaving their own clothes. The colours or the combinations of colours with their distinctively generated meanings add up to the beauty of the product.
Despite the abundant resources and products besides the establishment of numerous emporia across the country, the efforts made have not been fully able to ameliorate the economic conditions of the creators – the traditional crafts-persons to be precise.
This calls for long term vision vis-à-vis the process of globalization and its negative impact on growth of indigenous products.
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