Latest news with #traditionalcrafts
Arab News
a day ago
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi handicrafts on show at London's Selfridges
RIYADH: The Saudi Cultural Development Fund (CDF) is showcasing traditional handicrafts from the Kingdom at luxury department store Selfridges in London from June 3-22. The initiative is taking place during Saudi Arabia's Year of Handicrafts and is in collaboration with British charity organization Turquoise Mountain, which works to support the production of traditional crafts around the world. The collection celebrates diverse Saudi artisans and features intricate palm crafts, delicate jewelry and accessories, and fine leatherwork, with an emphasis on showcasing the differences between various regional styles in Saudi Arabia. The showcase is being held alongside an exhibition of fashion designs, held by the Saudi 100 Brands initiative. A key milestone in the CDF's efforts to support the Kingdom's cultural sector is the recent launch of the Nama' Accelerators: Handicrafts Track — a dedicated solution that supports cultural businesses through specialized training, mentorship, and financial incentives.
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Ancient Myanmar Ball Game Battles for Survival in Troubled Nation
Mastering control of the rising and falling rattan chinlone ball teaches patience, says a veteran of the traditional Myanmar sport -- a quality dearly needed in the long-suffering nation. "Once you get into playing the game, you forget everything," says 74-year-old Win Tint. "You concentrate only on your touch and you concentrate only on your style." Chinlone is Myanmar's national game and dates back centuries. Branded a blend of sport and art, it is often played to music and is typically practiced differently by men and women. Male teams in skimpy shorts stand in a circle using stylized strokes of their feet, knees and heads to pass the ball in a game of "keepy-uppy", with a scoring system impenetrable to outsiders. Women play solo like circus performers -- kicking the ball tens of thousands of times per session while walking tightropes, twirling umbrellas and perching on chairs balanced atop bottles. Teen prodigy Phyu Sin Phyo hones her skills at the court in Yangon, toe-bouncing a burning ball while spinning a hula-hoop -- also on fire. "I play even when I am sick," says the 16-year-old. "It is important to be patient to become a good chinlone player." But play has plunged in recent years, with the Covid-19 pandemic followed by the 2021 military coup and subsequent civil war. Poverty rates are shooting up and craftsmen face increasing problems sourcing materials to make balls. But the rising and falling rhythm of the game offers its practitioners a respite. "When you hear the sound of kicking the ball it's like music," Win Tint, vice-chairman of the Myanmar Chinlone Federation, told AFP. "So when you play chinlone, you feel like dancing." - 'Play day is happy' - Different versions of the hands-free sport known as "caneball" are widely played across Southeast Asia. In Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia players kick and head the ball over a net in the volleyball-style "sepak takraw". In Laos it is known as "kataw" while Filipinos play "sipa" -- meaning kick. In China, people kicking around weighted shuttlecocks in parks is a common sight. Myanmar's iteration dates back 1,500 years, according to popular belief. Some cite a French archaeologist's discovery of a replica silver chinlone ball at a pagoda built in the Pyu era of 200 BC to 900 AD. It was initially practiced as a casual pastime, a fitness activity and for royal entertainment. But in 1953 the game was given rules and a scoring system, as part of an effort to codify Myanmar's national culture after independence from Britain. "No one else will preserve Myanmar's traditional heritage unless the Myanmar people do it," said player Min Naing, 42. Despite the conflict, players still gather under motorway overpasses, around street lamps blighted with wartime blackouts and on dedicated chinlone courts -- often ramshackle open-sided metal sheds with concrete floors. "For a chinlone man, the day he plays is always a happy day. I am happy, and I sleep well at night," says Min Naing. "On the days I don't play it, I feel I am missing something." - 'Respect the chinlone' - But Win Tint is concerned that participation rates are falling. "I worry about this sport disappearing," says master chinlone ball maker Pe Thein, toiling in a sweltering workshop in Hinthada, 110 kilometers (70 miles) northwest of Yangon. "That's the reason we are passing it on through our handiwork." Cross-legged men shave cane into strips, curve them with a hand crank and deftly weave them into a melon-sized ball with pentagonal holes, boiled in a vat of water to seal its strength. "We check our chinlone's quality as if we're checking diamonds or gemstones," adds the 64-year-old Pe Thein. "As we respect the chinlone, it respects us back." Each ball takes around two hours to make and earns business-owner Maung Kaw $2.40 apiece. But supplies of the best-quality rattan he covets from nearby Rakhine are dwindling. There is fierce fighting in the state between the military and opposition groups that now control almost all of it. Farmers are too fearful to plunge into the jungle battleground to cut cane, says Maung Kaw, endangering his profession. "It should not be that we have players but no chinlone makers," says the 72-year-old. "I want to work as well as I can for as long as I can."
BBC News
26-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Clog making and roof thatching - the people behind craft jobs at risk
Ever fancied a career weaving baskets, making helmets or building rattan furniture?Those are some of the crafts that are falling out of favour, making it on to a list of endangered by Heritage Crafts, a charity which supports and promote traditional crafts, has identified 20 more crafts at risk of vanishing from the UK. Research found that rising operational costs, a lack of structured training, and mounting market pressures are placing unsustainable strain on crafts that depend on expert hand skills. Crafts such as cut crystal glass making and fabric flower making are just some that have been classified as "critically endangered".This means there is a shrinking base of craftspeople, limited training opportunities, low financial viability or there is no mechanism to pass on the skills and craft that was added to the list this year is thatching, both Welsh and Irish vernacular. Master thatcher Alan Jones and believes continuing the craft is important if people want to live a sustainable lifestyle. He said: "In these days of high tech, people appreciate hand made because someone has put their heart and soul into it. Quite literally and that's valuable. "It's valuable because of heritage, it's a part of our story and where we came from and how we got to where we are as a society and part of a timeline for keeping the traditions going. "Mass product isn't necessarily better. Hand made has a bit of heart to it."Priya Pannochia has been working with Alan as an apprentice and believes her generation is "less and less interested in these old crafts". She said: "A lot of these ways we are learning here is very natural in other parts of the world. "It feels more to me like living in harmony with nature and knowing how to do things for ourselves. "If one day I need to know how to make a fire, I know how to make one. If I needed to build a shelter, I know how to build one. "So I feel that this is very important in general to remember these old ways and the crafts involved." Some crafts classed as endangered include:Armour and helmet making Flax, hemp and nettle processingHazel basketmaking Lace making Lute makingOrgan building Quilting (in a frame)Welsh double cloth weavingCut crystal glass makingFabric flower making Glove makingRake makingRattan furniture makingThatching Clog making, which sees the clogs made by hand, has also been classified as critically endangered. Geraint Parfitt, one of only two makers in Britain who still creates clogs entirely by hand in his workshop at the National Museum of Wales, St Fagans, said he's happy there is recognition that these skills are being lost, but "it's sad that the list has to exist in the first place".As the clogs are made to measure, Geraint draws around the person's feet. "I then use a stump of straw and I cut it whole in my hand using three knives and then I do all the leather work, cut it and sew it by hand. "People come back for an extra fitting to make sure everything is right and then I put them together and that's it. Simple," he said it could take up to 10 hours of his working time but it can take up to six months before the clogs are ready due to working in the museum and speaking to the public. "I do think people are starting to appreciate the old form but the challenge is to make a living out of it because people are not willing to pay for the time it takes to do these things," he said."They are willing to pay £50 an hour for their car to be fixed but not for me to make their shoes."Daniel Carpenter from Heritage Crafts said the list underscores the need for investment and support to safeguard skills for the next generation. "Reversing this decline would represent not just the continuation of skilled trades, but also a significant boost to the UK's cultural heritage and countless opportunities for future innovation," he said.
Arab News
24-05-2025
- General
- Arab News
The Saudi artist giving traditional crafts a new voice
RIYADH: What if traditional crafts were not relics of the past but blueprints for the future? Saudi artist Fatimah Al-Nemer, whose work is on show at Riyadh's Naila Art Gallery, transforms ancestral materials into contemporary narratives, blending palm fronds, clay, and wool with concept and meaning. For Al-Nemer, heritage is not something to simply preserve behind glass. It is something to touch, reshape and retell. And traditional crafts are far more than manual skills; they are living archives. 'In the Arabian Peninsula, people adapted to their environment by turning clay, palm fronds, and wool into tools for survival and then into objects of timeless beauty,' she told Arab News. These crafts, shaped over generations, carry stories that Al-Nemer reinterprets through contemporary art. Her project, Al-Kar, exemplifies this approach. Named after the traditional climbing tool used by date harvesters, the piece was created in collaboration with Saudi craftswomen. Al-Nemer transformed humble palm fibers into a three-meter-long rug, elevating simple material into a conceptual installation. • Through her work, Fatimah Al-Nemer dissolves the boundaries between craft and art, heritage and modernity. • Those curious about the artist's work can view some of her pieces at solo exhibition 'Memory of Clay,' held at Naila Art Gallery until May 30. 'This is not merely an aesthetic celebration,' she said. 'It's a rewriting of our communal identity. Our heritage is rich — not only in materials, but in stories.' Her work goes beyond decorative craft; she treats traditional practices as conceptual frameworks, weaving narratives through textiles, clay and palm fiber. Her collaborations with artisans ensure that generational knowledge is embedded in each piece. 'The material is never separate from the experience,' she added. 'It becomes witness — marked by the presence of women, place and memory.' Participation in international exhibitions has expanded Al-Nemer's artistic outlook, allowing her to view local materials like clay and textiles as globally resonant. This is not merely an aesthetic celebration. It's a rewriting of our communal identity. Our heritage is rich — not only in materials, but in stories. Fatimah Al-Nemer, Saudi artist 'The global art scene recontextualizes challenges like the marginalization of craft, and transforms them into dialogues about identity and memory,' she said. For Al-Nemer, craftswomen are not merely implementers, but collaborators. 'They carry manual intelligence honed across generations,' she added, commending institutions like Saudi Arabia's Heritage Commission and Herfa Association that are now empowering artisans in alignment with the Kingdom's cultural transformation. 'Craft is no longer confined to the past — it is a living contemporary practice with global relevance,' she said. Those curious about the artist's work can view some of her items at solo exhibition 'Memory of Clay,' held at Naila Art Gallery until May 30. The exhibition offers a contemplative journey into themes of memory, belonging and identity transformation, using clay as a visual and cultural symbol. Featuring 12 works created through mixed media and a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques, Al-Nemer reimagines ancient Saudi crafts through a modernist lens, presenting clay not simply as raw material, but as a timekeeper and silent witness to human evolution. 'Clay is not just a medium,' she said. 'It is a mirror of our collective memory, shaped as we are shaped, cracking to reveal hidden layers of nostalgia and wisdom.' This philosophy materializes in the tactile depth, earthy hues and intricate details that define her works — each piece echoing the raw pulse of life. To young Saudi women hoping to innovate through craft, Al-Nemer offers this message: 'Believe in the value of what you hold. The world doesn't just want the product — it wants the story behind it.' With expanding institutional support and evolving creative spaces, the artist sees an opportunity: 'Craft can thrive as both art and enterprise as long as authenticity remains at its core.' Through her work, Al-Nemer dissolves the boundaries between craft and art, heritage and modernity. Every thread and every texture becomes a testament to identity — crafted by hand, read by the eye and understood by the heart.
Asharq Al-Awsat
19-05-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Artisans House Boosts Jazan's Heritage Crafts
The Artisans House in Jazan Region has revitalized traditional handicrafts nearing obsolescence due to modern technological advancements, preserving the region's cultural wealth, SPA reported. This endeavor aligns with the Heritage Commission's goal of developing the Saudi artisans' skills and showcasing the aesthetic qualities and inherent authenticity of Saudi handicrafts through training. Thirty artisans are participating in a year-long program focusing on qa'aid making, taaqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts to reconnect with regional heritage. Under the guidance of specialized trainers, they learn traditional techniques and explore contemporary designs. The program aims to bring back qa'aid making, a craft once vital for creating beds or chairs in old Jazan homes. The Artisans House empowers local youth to learn traditional crafts, becoming a hub for education and training in the region's heritage crafts. The initiative supports passing down knowledge to future generations and is in line with The Year of Handicrafts 2025, aiming to preserve the craft's identity and strengthen handicrafts as a vital part of Saudi identity and cultural heritage.
