Traditional lacquer artistes to learn new techniques

Colombo: The National Crafts Council (NCC) in a bid to improve the living standards of handicrafts artistes has introduced lacquer techniques to produce utility items through a mixture of traditional and modern colour patterns.

This new technique of mixing traditional and modern colour patterns to produce utility items which would garner higher market demand was introduced to a group of 20 lacquer technicians at a workshop at the Matale, Pallehapuwida handicraft village which is renowned for the lacquer industry recently.

An NCC spokesman said ways of going beyond traditional colour patterns to produce items of higher utility value to suit the modern market were introduced to the lacquer technicians at this workshop.

An awareness was given to them about utility items necessary for people's daily life including spice and tea leaf containers and covers, chimney lamp holders, various types

of spoons and walking sticks.

They were also provided with facilities to experiment the production of such items. A highlight at this workshop was an interaction between a ten member team of Fine Arts University undergraduates and the traditional lacquer artistes which enabled them to exchange their knowledge and experience for mutual benefit.

The NCC will arrange countrywide workshops of this nature to mix traditional and modern methods to introduce products more suitable for customer demand while protecting and conserving traditional handicrafts the spokesman added.

Fine Arts University Senior lecturer Sarath Ganasiri, NCC Regional Assistant Director Nishantha Wijayalath, National design Centre, Nattarampotha Training Centre's Assistant Director P.K. Wijesinghe, Centre's Consultant U.M. Wickramarathna, NCC Matale District Development Assistant M.H.H.G. Samaranayaka and Central province industrial development and Enterprise Promotion Department officer Geethani Abeysinghe also participated at the workshop.