ISLAMABAD: A two-day crafts festival opened Saturday night to celebrate artisan communities from across the country.

The festival, which opened at Serena Hotel and was organised in collaboration with Nomad Gallery, aims economically empower craftspeople and develop an audience for handicrafts, the organisers said.

The trendsetting event juxtaposes the traditional and honours handcrafts that have lent vitality to the creative spirit of the region, said Nomad Gallery Director Nageen Hyat.

From contemporary bags and organic honey, oils and dry fruits from the northern areas to block printed bags by master craftsmen, the exhibition offered visitors collectibles and home decoration, original fine art and craft items that cannot be found in malls and supermarkets.

Visitors particularly loved the engraved slates, truck art metal boxes and scarves. Brightly coloured truck art tea sets and quarter plates that can make descent gifts, fancy embroidered handbags, hand woven Balochi rugs, Kashmiri cushion covers and dresses, and finely done Japanese shibori apparel and Sindhi ajrak on cotton and silk were also showcased.

Visitors said that the crafts festival was nothing less than a treasure hunt, and a chance to enlarge their collections without a burning a hole in their pockets.

“These are some wonderful stalls where artists, craftspeople, have brought their unusual creations for public consumption,” said a visitor to the festival.

“It’s difficult to decide which kaftans are better than the other. This is a collection by some very talented individuals with amazingly unique quality skilled work. Equally pleasant is the atmosphere with so many things to see and enjoy,” remarked another visitor. The crafts festival will run till Sunday.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2019