Sukanti Swain is believed to be the first female artiste from Raghurajpur craft heritage village to win the ‘Shilp Guru’ award at the national level recently. Besides managing her family, she has also been contributing to her family business of arts. In an interaction with Orissa POST, she opens her heart out. Excerpts from the interview:
OP: What virtues do you think helped you win the ‘Shilp Guru’ award?
It was mainly due to my work on palm leaf paintings to which I have devoted more than 15 years of my time. I tried my best to depict the leelas of Lord Krishna through the engravings on palm leaves. I have a special interest in palm leaf painting besides other art forms which are famous in the craft village.
OP: As a woman, how difficult is it for an artiste in Raghurajpur to follow passion in arts?
For women, it is quite different compared to their male counterparts in the village. While male artistes here can devote most of their time to art and craft, females have the additional responsibility of household chores besides others. Anyhow, we take time out from our schedule to devote some time for producing some art work.
OP: Do you think the involvement of women in your village in business is more compared to other villages?
Raghurajpur is more participatory when it comes to women ‘s participation in the business run by the male members of the family. As in this village, almost every household produces art works like pattachitra, papier mache, palm leaf paintings and others; around three persons from each family and household is directly engaged in the work. Almost every woman from the village is directly helping in the business. We are no less than any working lady in urban areas, the only difference is that we work at our home which is turned into a workshop for almost all artistes of Raghurajpur.
OP: Do you find the art work and business associated with it sustainable? How do you see the future?
Yes. I see a good future. Our village has now become a visiting place for many tourists and buyers. Many throng our village to get the genuine art works for which the village is known for. Due to no middlemen being involved we get the direct benefit of our work. If we sell through middlemen at towns we do not get more benefit.