Did you see Andare and the fisherman?

I walk down admiring the handicrafts exhibited in the left wing of the Colombo Art Gallery . I see a fisherman in typical fishermen's garb, on his way to the 'oruwa' carrying all his paraphernalia - the oar, the line, the lamp, the meals-smoking a 'beedi'. He even wears the cross round his neck being a Christian, as most fisherfolk do. I take a close look. What is he 'made of'? I couldn't guess until I read the tag. The exhibit had won first prize in the leather handicrafts category.

This fine piece was the work of Mahinda Ranaweera from Kandy, one among a host of talented craftsmen taking part in the annual handicrafts competition organised by the National Crafts Council and the National Design Centre. The district winners in the different categories - 25 in all - get a chance of exhibiting their work in Colombo. They vie for the Presidential Awards.

The craftsmen gain recognition once a year through the exhibition, not to mention the awards. Winning awards is not only prestigious but helps to secure orders, both locally and globally, for their products. The overall quality of the products is good. Obviously the craftsmen are aware of the need to concentrate on quality and workmanship. They are getting a taste of competition. They can no longer get away with third rate products in the name of traditional crafts.

Intricate workmanship was the hallmark of most of the products. The silver tray which had won the All-Island Award amongst all categories was a thing of beauty, a symbol of quality and a fine example of patience and creativity. It was the work of A. P. G. Navaratne from Nattarampotha in the Kandy district, traditional brassware territory. The first runner-up among the All-Island winners was Indika Udayangana from Karandeniya for his extremely delicate piece of wood carving depicting a 'Makara Thorana'. Lionel Premachandra's exquisite Samadhi Buddha statue out of granite well deserved the award for second runner-up.

It was a pity that most exhibits did not carry any tags. Finding out the craftsman's name was a problem. There were department staff attending to other details but they had not given enough thought to this vital aspect. When I asked who the craftsman of a particular item was, they had to refer at least a dozen files to find out. Some considered it a nuisance while one or two tried to help.

The winners list was also not available for reference.

Schoolchildren turned out in large numbers to view the exhibition. They not only admired the exhibits but many were seen studying them in detail. It was a fine opportunity for them to get an idea of how rich our traditional crafts are. The demonstrations in the right wing hall were of much educational value.

The organisers had shifted the venue this year from the BMICH to the Art Gallery. The BMICH was an ideal place from the point of view of status and space. Last year's exhibition was well spread out on either side of the foyer. At the Art Gallery, it was cramped but a department official said, the craftsmen had asked for a change of venue because the stalls they had opposite the Art Gallery attracted better crowds. Passers-by would stop their vehicles and buy things unlike at the BMICH where crowd participation was restricted. Well, they have a point.

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