President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the Government was determined to provide the assistance to handicraft industry at rural level and supported the craftsmen involved in the industry.

President Rajapaksa was speaking at the Presidential Awards Ceremony “Shilpa 2005 Viskam Dethata Saviyak”, held at the BMICH yesterday. The event was organised to honour the local handicraftsmen involved in the handicraft industry.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Rural Industries and Self-employment Promotion. President said it was really important to accolade the craftsmen because they enhanced our culture, civilisation and tradition through their creations. “Their inborn talents are priceless and it displays our identity to the world”, he said. Read more…

In conjunction with the 60th birthday celebrations of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Handicraft Sale and Exhibition is now being held at the Brunei Arts and Handicrafts Training Centre in Jalan Residency, Bandar Seri Begawan.

From the five courses offered at the centre - weaving, silversmithing, wood carving, brass smithing and basketry & songkok making - the exhibition showcases original Brunei arts and handicrafts. Read more…

By Bilal Butt, Srinagar: Kashmiri handicraft and its leather industry, in particular, has been a big attraction for visitors coming here from across the country and world as most of the leather items are handmade and are decorated with fine embroidery.

The Kashmir’s leather industry is getting a new boost in its demand as manufacturers are employing many innovative methods and designs to captivate a new demand.

In the wake of high potential for growth, the leather goods manufacturers in Srinagar are now producing goods keeping the latest market trends in mind. Read more…

Bandar Seri Begawan - A craft market exhibition was yesterday held at Sheraton Utama Hotel in the capital, showcasing an assortment of local and imported handcrafted items.

Among the products on offer were Burmese laquerware, Thai ornaments, fashion accessories from Australia and United States, handmade bags from Hong Kong, and tribal decorative items by the Penan of Sarawak. There was also a charity booth set up by Pusat Ehsan selling an array of handmade items. — Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

EXHIBITION

Craft Complex Kuala Lumpur
Seksyen 63, Jalan Conlay
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (03) 2162 7459
Fax: (03) 2161 2622
Web: www.kraftangan.gov.my

Nusantara Craft 2006
June 29- July 3 In its fourth year, the “Nusantara Craft 2006” event showcases work from 75 craftsmen and women from Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Exhibition and sales aside, the event also features craft-making demonstrations and cultural performances. Visitors will get to check out batik-painting (using natural dye) and weaving workshops. From 9am till 8pm, daily. Free admission. Read more…

The popularity of handicraft products from Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, in Scandinavian markets has created an opportunity for domestic handicraft exporters to boost exports, said Scandinavian trade officials.

At a meeting on June 8 aimed at helping small-and medium-sized handicraft companies in Vietnam develop overseas markets, participants heard that although the Scandinavian market was not particularly large, it represented a significant level of purchasing power.

Norwegian economic experts suggested Vietnamese enterprises needed to shift focus from competing on the basis of cost to developing trademarks and distinctive products. Read more…

Australian-born Warwick Purser points sadly at a building once filled with ethnic Indonesian bric-a-brac and craft made by villagers living on the outskirts of the quake-hit royal city of Yogyakarta.

The roof of the showroom has collapsed, damaging craft such as pandanus leaf placemats, woven coconut shell ice buckets and black terracota plates that have made their way to department stores such as Macy’s in New York and Harrods in London.

Tembi, about 30 km (20 miles) south of Yogyakarta, is among hundreds of villages hit by Saturday’s quake which killed nearly 6,000 people and left more than 130,000 homeless. Read more…

Felda aims to sell its handicraft under the “Modern Malaysian” brand in strategic markets including the renowned department store Harrods in London.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he hoped to see the objective become a reality in the next one year.

“It is my dream that Felda handicraft will be marketed in the shops in Harrods,” he said when opening the first Felda craft gallery in the Craft Complex in Jalan Conlay, here, Saturday.

Two more Felda craft galleries will be opened before the end of the year. Najib said the 11 Felda craft production centres established under the one region one industry project would be used to supply Modern Malaysian handicraft for the global market. Read more…

Handicraft made by Felda settlers can one day make inroad into Harrods in London if they are unique, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He threw a personal challenge to Felda handicraft entrepreneurs to make their products as unique and special as possible so that they could be exported.

“I want Felda handicraft entrepreneurs and businessmen to take the lead in the industry. “You should make your products commercially attractive and create a good brand name to boost your sales. Read more…

Local handicraft entrepreneurs, in efforts to draw foreign investors, are taking the opportunity to promote their products at the Non-Aligned Movement Coordinating Bureau (NAM-CoB) Ministerial Meeting which starts here tomorrow.

The Melaka branch of the Malaysian Handicraft Corporation is among the organisations that have set up booths at the exhibition held in conjunction with the four-day meeting at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) here.

Its designer, Ruziyati Garan, said Friday that entrepreneurs in Melaka produced high quality handicraft items from metal, ceramics, textiles and rattan which were well-received by local and foreign tourists. Read more…