Craft crusader

Growing up in Delhi, Sangeeta Roy would accompany her eldest sister Shampa whenever Shampa wanted to visit arts and crafts fairs. She would tag along reluctantly but over time her interest and appreciation for Indian handicrafts grew.

What was once a hobby has now turned into an exciting business enterprise. And every year since 2008, Ms Roy has held one or two exhibitions a year of Indian handicrafts in Singapore through her business Kala Tarang. Due to the growing interest in her exhibitions she is holding three this year at The Arts House.

When Ms Roy moved to Singapore in 2002 with her husband, a senior director at Hewlett Packard, she realised that, despite the craft sector being India's second largest employer after agriculture, there weren't many Indian handicrafts making its way into the global market.

"I thought here (Singapore) is a country that is very close to India yet exposure to Indian handicrafts is very low. I thought back to my younger days where there was so much happening and there is so much that should be happening in the Indian craft sector which employs a large section of the Indian economy. Many people don't realise that, when they think of India they think of call centres and the software industry," said Ms Roy.

She set up Kala Tarang, which loosely translated means "Craft Waves", in 2008 to spread awareness and appreciation of Indian handicrafts. "Indian handicrafts have such a rich and diverse history while also being uniquely beautiful. You will find crafts in a myriad of colours all from nature's palette. India's craft industry is proof that environmental sustainability does not necessitate compromising aesthetic appeal."

At Kala Tarang customers will find a variety of handmade products from folk paintings to pottery, embroidery to weaves and dyes. Prices range from $5 for a pair of earrings to $1,000 for a painting.

"My endeavour is that if you come to the exhibition you will find something in your price range, in your colour palette, you will probably find something you like," said Ms Roy. "I source my crafts from all around India, from NGOs and craftspeople directly."

Through Kala Tarang, Ms Roy is able to share her appreciation of India's rich handicraft heritage. Her passion for her job radiates in her voice as she shared: "I love working in the craft sector. It excites me, it's a sector with a lot of potential. There's so much to learn about the history behind these crafts and the way they have survived.

"It can be a very unpredictable sector, you can say to a craftsman I want these 10 things and everything has been agreed upon and then he might say, 'But actually I have a wedding in my family.' In spite of that it is fun, I find it very fascinating and I want to do what I can to make the sector thrive."

At her exhibitions, her customers have the opportunity to learn more about the crafts and their fascinating history as well as the traditional crafting processes.

"I also love engaging with the craftsmen and artists and with my customers. I've learnt a lot from my conversations with the craftsmen. My customers come for the exhibitions and they appreciate what I've sourced. They want to know the story behind it; they are as interested as I am. Over the past five years I've had a very personal relationship with a lot of the customers. There is engagement at the sourcing level and there's engagement at the customer level both of which I find very fascinating and satisfying. You feel that if there is interest here then it is worth going back the next time."

For Ms Roy, the support of her family has been invaluable. "My husband's always there to help out. I have two children, 11 and five. My older child is quite fascinated with what I do, he'll ask me a lot of questions, he knows I give talks and he wonders if I'm famous. And my eldest sister, she is why it all started. She is a great enthusiast and my partner in crime. She calls me up whenever she finds something interesting that she thinks I would like for my next exhibition," she shared.

Singapore has been an ideal place for the entrepreneur who has an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and used to work in the banking industry.

"The ease of doing business here is just phenomenal. Everything comes together so seamlessly. On the personal front I think this country makes it really easy, help is easily available, it is a safe place. Schooling and medical facilities are great. Things that can be a bother in some other place just cease to be a bother here.

"I'm not saying there are no problems, of course there will be problems. But the amount of time it takes to deal with the issues that crop up is far less than in many other places. India is only a five-hour journey away. The amount of time I can give to my business is much more than I think I would have been able to in some other place because other things are so well sorted."

Her next exhibition, Woven in India, is on Sept 23 at The Arts House and it specialises in weaves, dyes and embroidery. She will also be giving a talk on Indian textile arts and its intrinsic role in Indian history. In November she will be holding a three-day exhibition offering over 500 types of handicrafts.

Despite the challenges of juggling family life and her business, Ms Roy is optimistic about the future of Kala Tarang. On her plans, she said: "The ultimate aim is to create a greater market for India's craft industry. To increase people's awareness of how India's handicraft industry is eco-friendly and environmentally-sustainable yet the aesthetics are not compromised."

She plans to scale up her exhibitions to reach a wider audience. Ultimately, she hopes to one day hold her exhibitions in cities around the world.

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