Warli designed Masks by women artisan under UNDP patronage shipped to London and New Jersey
After ravaging impact of covid on economy, many women from Mahrastra’s Thane and Mumbai turned to Warli art to revive their incomes.In 2017 UNDP India and Larsen and Toubro Infotech (LTI) jointly started a strategic partnership to create Women Artisans Skills Enhancement Project (WASEP). The project has trained almost 2200 women so far.
One of the oldest art forms, Warli, practiced for hundreds of years by indigenous tribes of Maharashtra proved propitious in tough hard times as Women artisans in Mumbai, and nearby Thane embraced the warli folk art to design the masks in order to deal with financial burdens mounted on their family members owing to job loss at large. Most of them are homemakers and first generation Warli learners.
Art is often used to embellish the walls of village houses. They do not illustrate mythological characters or deities, but mostly depict social life.
Under the initiative of government of Maharashtra to trainin on top of their Warli skills the women artisans were able to quickly meet the rising demand for masks. They successfully met the request for the order of over 1,000 masks from Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM), an initiative focused on social services.
Apart from the order for 400 masks placed by the Indian multinational firm Larsen and Toubro Infotech (LTI) the intricately designed masks produced by women artisans were shipped as far as to London and New Jersey in thoroughly sanitized and quality-checked packages.
As per UNDP press release, the average earning of the artisans was INR 1200 per month in 2020-2021. Some artisans even earned between INR 10K-12K depending upon the order. The women artisans use their incomes for education, healthcare, groceries, and jewelry. In addition to the tangible outcomes, there has been a significant change in terms of their self-confidence.
WASEP has continued its training sessions with the artisans, only now they are virtual. Digital modules were created, and systems were set in place. Over the past year, artisans have not only learned about themes like mandala art, pointillism, but also how to amalgamate two crafts and create new products.
Photo credit: UNDP
