Thursday, January 19, 2006

Pata


tsunami
Originally uploaded by dalbhat.
After December 2005, many patuas illustrated their impressions of the tsunami disaster in their scroll commentaries.

This is one frame that describes the tsunami from a patua's perspective. Many of the scrolls show a huge godlike creature crying at the top with tears flowing down from the heavens, heads with their eyes closed are floating in the waters, and birdlike carriages are flying about carrying people -- the helicopters rescuing victims in the affected areas.

Painting by Karuna Chitrakar
Medinipur

Monday, January 16, 2006

bai lou


bailou_4
Originally uploaded by dalbhat.
An exhibition at Artisana at 13 Chowringhee Terrace introduced unique contemporary weaves by the bai lou studio.

The studio was started in March 2002 by a young couple with plenty of color, design style, and saavy.

Handmade, handwoven textiles, including scarves, bags, quilts, and sarees are some of the bai lou products. The two have been working closely with weavers in villages near Phulia to meld obviously contemporary designs together with traditional weaving skills -- creating a wave of refreshingly new weave selections and possibilities.

No two products seem to look or feel the same.

www.bailou.net

Saturday, January 07, 2006

THANK YOU!


mustard1
Originally uploaded by dalbhat.
Thanks to the following list of people who have helped us in a variety of creative ways to raise money or further Mustard Seed activities....

Kyoko Hosoki & Hiromi Yamagami at JEE in Kyoto selling products; Chiaki Takashima & Rakutendo members for working to make a fair trade pot cover for their bean cuisine club; Siobhan Wilson for taking a keen interest in the groups and trying to start a business up focusing on them; Laura Ford for her "maural" support; Carol Lanigan & Moira Jones in Dublin who started the Coffee Morning Movement to sell products for groups here over coffee; Ringo Hanada, Adarsh Sharma, Yukie Kaneshiro, Martha Hurley, Kenske Nakamura for their financial contributions; Ann Overton for library materials; Kawamoto-san, Arisa-san, Naoki-kun and Nick-san who sell products at their restaurants; Trina Takeuchi and Family; all the Mustard Seed LIbrary members, the NGOs here, and to my whole family!

For those who always wondered, this is what mustard looks like growing on the field!