CERAMIC ART CLASSES @ THE DAKSHINACHITRA MUSEUM

WORKSHOPS AT THE CERAMIC CENTRE

If undelivered, please return to

Madras Craft FoundationG3 Madhuram Flats6 Urur Olcott Road

Besant NagarChennai - 600 090

Tel: 2491 8943 / 2446 2435Email: dakmcf@gmail.com

ON WEEKENDS WE ARE OPEN

TILL 7 PM

Madras Craft Foundation

DakshinaChitraMuttukadu, East Coast Road,Kanchipuram district,Tamil Nadu - 603 112Tel: 2747 2603www.dakshinachitra.net

For further information, contact Sarojha: +91 - 9841436149

DakshinaChitra is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm Closed on Tuesdays.Weekends : 10 am to 7 pm

DakshinaChitra is the project of Madras Craft Foundation.

Design and Content : �e Phoenix Company

OUR GRATITUDE TO...Our heartfelt gratitude to the following donors for donating objects, contemporary artworks and textiles to our museum:Neeta Omprakash, S.A.V.Elaiyaraja & Elaiya Bharathy, P.Saravanan, Sovan Kumar, Vijay Pitchumani, Eshvantiran, Khageswar Rout, G.Chandrasekaran, K.S.Chandrasekaran & Uma Veerappan.

Our sincere thanks to M. Ramamurthy for his valuable donation of books to our library collection

COVER PAGE ARTThe cover page has a photograph of a Nettipattam donated by Rohini Shankar to the museum. The Nettipattam is a gold-plated caparison decorating the forehead of temple elephants in Kerala during festivals and auspicious occasions. Around 6,000 gold-plated spherical pieces are stitched on to a velvet fabric to create this adornment. It is believed that the Nettipattam has a deep significance in Hindu astrological art.

Art BeatArt BeatWorkshops for AdultsWorkshops for Adults(Timings: 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)

Date Workshop Resource Person FeeOct. 6 & 7 Studio pottery Palani Rs. 2000/-

Oct. 13 & 14Watercolour painting

& techniques Vignesh Rs. 2500/-

Oct. 27 & 28 Macreme Jewellery Kantha Narashiman Rs. 2500/-

Nov. 3 & 4 Handmade Soap making Kanchana Rs. 3500/-

Nov. 17 & 18 Kalamkari Vijaya Kumar Rs. 2000/-

NOVEMBER 3 - 30 : ‘Tamizh Makkal’

As part of the World Heritage Week celebrations, DakshinaChi-tra is organising an exhibition of paintings by late artists T.R.P. Mookiah (1934-2009) and M. Suriyamoorthy (1944 - 2012).

OCTOBER 7 - 28 :‘Paradise Lost’

An exhibition of paintings by Adam Khan.

VARIJA GALLERY ‘Window to the Past’ -

An exhibition of watercolour paintings by A. Murugesan

KADAMBARI GALLERY

WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDRENThe fee is inclusive of material and transportation only. Timings: 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Age group: 8 - 14 years. For further details, contact Lakshmi: +91- 9841777779.

Nov. 24 & 25Introduction to

Oyilattam & SilambattamAdhi Vishnu & Kannan Kumar

Rs. 1000/-

Dec. 20 & 21 Glass Sculpting Srinivasa Raghavan Rs. 2500/-

KADAMBARI GALLERY

DECEMBER 2 - 30: ‘Aananda’ - An exhibition

of recent works byK. Balasubramanian

OCTOBER 7 - 29 : ‘Elephas Maximus’

An exhibition of paintings & sculptures by

Karthikeyan Pitchimallian.

NOVEMBER 3 - 30 : WORLD HERITAGE WEEK

DECEMBER 15 - 30 : ‘Kaleidoscope’ - An

exhibition of paintings by D.Ravi and Pooja S.I.

Date Workshop Resource Person Fee

Oct. 13 Wheel Pottery In-house Rs. 800/-

Nov. 11 In-house Rs. 1000/-

Dec. 1 Shell craft In-house Rs. 800/-

Our ceramic centre offers a variety of courses to learn the art of making ceramics. It is an opportunity for creative minds to gain a comprehensive understanding of ceramics from our award-winning ceramist, Potrarasan. There are short and long modules available. The basic programme (3 months) involves understanding and preparing the clay, wedging and kneading techniques, creating basic shapes and surface decoration techniques. In the intermediate course (6 months), students learn how to make different pot and bowl shapes apart from the firing process. Participants in the advanced module (1 year) additionally will make their own art pieces which will be exhibited in a group show at DakshinaChitra. Certificates will be awarded at the end of each programme. For details, please contact Potrarasan at 9840672154.

Glass Sculpting

Handmade soap making

Introduction to Oyilattam & Silambattam

Kalamkari

Macreme Jewellery

Watercolour painting & techniques

Studio Pottery

Adam Khan

T.R.P. Mookiah

K. Balasubramanian

Karthikeyan Pitchimallian

A. Murugesan

D. Ravi

Decoupage on box

ACTIVITY CAMP FOR CHILDRENA camp that is filled with fun and learning for children. It will include a wide range of activities like t-shirt printing, paper craft, palm leaf decorations, shell craft, folk dance, pot-breaking & tug of war. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to develop new hobbies!

Decoupage on box

Activity camp

Activity campShell craft Wheel Pottery

A coffee grinder donated by K.S.Chandrasekaran

Therukootu - A painting donated byS.A.V. Elaiyaraja &Elaiyabharathy

‘War for Water’ art piece donated by Sovan Kumar

Marapatchi dolls donated by Uma Veerappan

‘Studies for an archive’ art piece donated by Khageswar Rout

‘Black bird’ an art piece donated by Eshvantiran

‘Neighbourhood girls’ painting donated by

P.Saravanan

NEWS & EVENTS - OCTOBER TO DECEMBER, 2018

Course No. of classes Duration Fee

3 months 10 classes/month 3 to 5 hours per/day Rs. 19,500/-

6 months 2 classes/week Full day classes Rs. 50,000/-

1 year 20 classes/month Rs. 1,00,000/-

(48 classes over 24 weeks)

(240 classes over 12 months)

Handmade Dinner Set(for adults)

Oct. 20, 21 & 28 Fee: Rs. 4,000/-

Mugs, kettle & jugs (for adults)

Nov. 17, 18 & 25Fee: Rs. 4,000/-

On glaze Mural(for adults)

Rs. 2,000/-Dec. 22, 23 & 30

Full day classes

GREETINGS FROM DAKSHINACHITRAStep away from the buzz of city life this festive season and head over to DakshinaChitra to get a flavour of traditional folk music, dance and drama. From mesmerising drum beats for Dussera to soothing melodies for Christmas, our programmes promise to take your festive energy to a new high. In our endeavour to support native crafts, we are conducting different activities including a seminar for craftspeople and courses at the ceramic centre. We are also introducing experiential workshops for children to create awareness about indigenous community practices. Read on to find out more...

EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOPS

VASTRA UTSAV: CELEBRATING INDIGENOUS MARVELS

This year’s edition of Vastra Utsav, held in August, saw many designers and artisans from across the country showcase their products. From beautiful sarees and handwoven material to unique jewellery and accesso-ries, the exhibition brought forth traditional craft in a contemporary avatar. The two-day event was inaugurated by well-known dancer, Anita Ratnam. We thank the Friends of DakshinaChitra for hosting the event to raise funds for the activities at DakshinaChitra.

NOV. 17 : KARTHIGAI DEEPAM CELEBRATIONS @ 4 P.M.

Grace and elegance take centre stage on this auspicious occasion as we bring to you a classical performance of Mohiniyattam by the students of Smt. Nandita Prabhu. Mohiniyattam commemo-rates the story of how Lord

Vishnu once came to the aid of the Gods in the form of the beau-tiful Mohini to seduce their arch nemesis, the Asuras (demons). The fluid choreography combined with the eye movements are truly enchanting. Come, be a part of this lovely journey and witness a fine display of skill and finesse.

OCT. 3 - 7 : DUSSERA FESTIVAL

Dussera, known as Navaratri in the South, is a nine-day festival celebrated to worship the nine forms of Shakti. On this occasion, we revive the charm of ancient folklore and bring you a series of traditional folk performances from Karnataka this Dussera. The five-day programme will see the Sri Maramma Janapada Trust perform Puja Kunitha, a popular ritualistic folk dance characterised by the use of colourfully decorated bamboo poles swayed to music. Elaborate wooden structures, carrying the deities, are placed on the heads of the dancers. There will also be an exhibition-cum-sale of the famed Lambani crafts from Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra and Channapatna crafts. Bring your friends and family along to enjoy a unique cultural experience. (Timings: 11:30a.m., 12:30p.m., 3:30p.m. & 4:30p.m.)

DEC. 15 : CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS

December comes with the excitement of santa hats, Christmas trees, gingerbread cookies and of course, Christmas carols! This year, head to DakshinaChitra to listen to some of your favourite carols which will be sung by students of the Deparment of Geography and Tourism Management, Madras Christian College. Bring in the festive spirit by humming to the tunes of these famed harmonies. And don’t forget to bring alongyour loved ones to make it merrier! (Timing: 4:00p.m.)

CRAFT SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

NOV. 3 & 4 : DIWALI CELEBRATIONS

The festival of lights is the most-awaited occasion in the country and we have some-thing special planned for you. This Diwali, we bring you a breathtaking Kuchipudi performance by Kumari Vempatti Lakshmi Kameshwari and the students of Kuchipudi Art Academy. Originating from a village named Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh, this dance drama recital has its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of Natya Shas-tra. Don’t miss out on this beautiful amal-gamation of dance, music and storytelling!

(Timings: 11:30a.m. & 3:30p.m.)

DEC. 26 - 30 : VILLAGE FESTIVAL

Get a glimpse of ancient cultural traditions at our five-day village festival. The festival will have traditional folk dances of Tamil Nadu such as Kummiattam, Oyilat-tam, Kolattam and Thappat-tam performed by members of

the Salangai Oli troupe. Donning vibrant costumes, the performers will bring to life time-honoured dance forms. Be there to witness the show! (Timings: 11:30a.m., 12:30p.m., 3:30p.m. & 4:30p.m.)

The DakshinaChitra museum has always been supportive of craftspeople by providing a platform for their art. Taking another major step in this direction, it will be organizing a series of seminars & workshops to discuss the future of crafts and craftsmanship. These sessions will be a prelude to an international seminar which will be organised by the Madras Craft Founda-tion titled, “Maker and Meaning - Craft and Society: Revisited”, scheduled for January 2019. The international seminar will focus on ways to improve the current economic and social status of the artisan com-munity apart from enhancing craft marketability.

The programme will have two parts. First, three different workshops/seminars will be held exclusively for craftspeo-ple. Resource persons from organisations such as National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Development Commissioner

Handicrafts (DCH) and Geographical Indications Registry (GI), Chennai, will be interacting with the participants. Second, at the international seminar, scholars and craft experts from across the world will analyse the changes observed in their field in the last 20 years and help find solutions to local problems. Representatives from the first seminar will be present to voice their concerns.

This beautifully carved 200-year-old wooden chariot (see right) is the latest addition to our collection. It was recently acquired from Pondicherry and restored by our conservation team. This chariot, decorated with vibrant flowers, is presently part of an exhibition titled, Sacred Street Art, in the Ambur House Gallery. The exhibition is a narrative on the different Vahanas of Gods and Goddesses. The display is complemented by a splendid video of a temple procession in the same hall.

NEW AT THE MUSEUM

SEMINAR SCHEDULE FOR CRAFTSPEOPLE

October 5-7 Focus on traditional crafts such as stone carving, woodcarving and bronze casting.

October 26-28 Focus on fibre weavers, specialized hand-loom products - appliqué, embroidery and block printing products.

November 23-25 Focus on handmade jewellery, metal and wood crafts.

At DakshinaChitra, we are constantly working towards keeping art and heritage alive through new and innovative ways. This year, we bring you a variety of experiential workshops that seek to make learning a memorable experience for children. Small groups allow for more participation and interaction. There are special activities for each workshop. The details for the workshops are given below:

Workshops: Rs. 400/- per studentVillage visit: Rs. 500/- per student

Duration: 3 hours

For registration and further enquiries, please contact Lakshmi at+91 - 9841777779.

Please find below a snippet about the different workshops.

COMMUNITY LIVING

A thought-provoking workshop that explores how the definition of the word ‘community’ has changed with urbanisation. Students will visit two houses and study the role of artists and archi-tects in building our heritage. They will also have discussions on

inclusivity and acceptance within a community and the importance and need for community gatherings in olden times. The special activity will include block printing and folk dancing.

SUSTAINABLE LIVING

In this workshop, children will learn about the sustainable materials used in villages. The idea is to kindle in them a curiosity to find environ-ment-friendly alternatives to non-sustainable materials. They will also be encouraged to explore the pertinent ways to reconnect with nature in today’s world. The special activities will include painting on cloth bags and making crafts from plastic and waste.

APPRECIATING VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

This is an interesting work-shop where children will understand how houses were constructed in olden times and the purpose behind using particular building materials. In the process, they will learn about the role of masons and architects in construction.

They will also try and find answers to modern housing problems in vernacular architecture. The special activities will include design-ing a floor plan and a hands-on building activity.

A VISIT TO OUR ROOTS

While a majority of India lives in rural areas, it is saddening to see how little one knows about rural life. In an attempt to bridge this gap, DakshinaChi-tra is offering a visit to a nearby village, Siruthavur, about 30 minutes from the centre. During the visit, students will observe and understand more about rural lifestyle in a real-life setting. It will be a life-changing experi-ence for the children as it will broaden their perspectives on other livelihoods, communities and landscapes. The students will be accompanied by our tour guide, Ramachandran, a teacher and a local from the village.

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Facebook page: DakshinaChitra Chennai MuttukaduInstagram handle: @dakshinachitra_heritagemuseumWebsite: www.dakshinachitra.net(Scan the QR code on the right with your smartphone camera to visit our website.)