The RIA/CE Village Banner project

My last blog post for the year.  And it will be on a happy note.

This is the village banner I initiated during my brief stay at the Raghurajpur International Art/Craft Exchange (RIA/CE) last October.  It's just such a happy banner.  And the photos of its making are even happier...

These are folks who reside in the quiant village of the Raghurajpur heritage craft village in Orissa, India.  We got a sundry of  them to share their hand print on the banner.

At first, they were hesitant to approach us, not quite understanding what the fuzz was about.  Soon enough, the kids approached us and led the way.

The house/temple, the leaf, and the bird were made with fabric scraps. And they got the attention of the some of the villagers.

Wonderful tentative moments captured by the lens...

It was thrilling when we got some of my fellow RIA/CE artist-residents to share their hand prints as well.

And there it is, in the happy company of the other art works produced during the exchange.

I like how the banner turned out, even how the hand prints are a bit disorganized.  It's never exactly how you imagine it would turn out.  For example, I originally intended only the kids of the village to put their hand prints on the banner.  I also wish we got Indian women to participate.  But they weren't in sight when we did the project.  In the end though, the village chief walked up to me and, with a smile, told me he liked the project.

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A note on socially-engaged art: https://whilemakingart.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/talk-on-socially-engaged-art-practices-in-upd/