‘Nepal’s traditional crafts and practices, more than ever, requires a renewed sense of ownership. With initiatives and businesses taking on free market policies through innovation and adaptation, we, the consumers, need to be reoriented of the values of patronizing Nepali products; especially those meaningful commodities based on our cultural and indigenous heritage.’
From an Article (The Traditional & the Contemporary) by N. Sharma in ECS Nepal, that describes the brilliancy of Nepal’s multi-faceted artisanship. Read full article.
No matter where one lives or travels in Nepal (cities, towns, villages, and remote places that are more the abodes of gods and godesses), at all turns one meets the other artists — the artisans — that shape in beautiful, greatly skilled and practical ways so much that meets the eye or is used in daily life. The artisans of Nepal — woodworkers, those who work in textiles, in copper, brass, in building, and so many other creative mediums including the creation of clothes — are unique as an artistic ‘bridge’ between the people and ancient traditions and the spiritual dimension of life.
This section of the website provides information about the richness of the world of artisanship in Nepal, and highlights the commonly exceptional technical skills, as well as the devotion through the processes of creation (many of which are very ancient) of the nation’s artisans.
Humankind has three core existential requirements: the needs for shelter [domestic homes], clothing and the production of food. Added to these are spiritual [which includes dance, music and philosophic writing in addition to formal religion in its many forms] and mundane socio-economic requirements. Taken together these five, constitute the basis for artisanship — which can be rightly defined as both individual creative and cultural artistry in utilitarian and spiritual/religious contexts — and provide a basis for appreciating that in Nepal, craftsmanship/artisanship witnesses a scope for creativity and artistic expression of a level that commonly approaches that of the most accomplished fine artists, musicians, dancers and actors.