ARTISAN SOCIAL

inspire. educate. collaborate

Dhaka was renowned for the production of its high-quality cotton for millennia. The legend of the fine muslin called the ‘woven air’ has become a topic of the lore! Still today, the unique Jamdani weaves – purest cotton sarees and various types of exquisite hand embroidery – are produced at a large scale. But the stories behind these fine crafts are untold and underappreciated. They are known only to a curious few within its inner circle.

Artisan Social is a digital platform to promote our heritage to the global community. By visual storytelling, we document the craft processes, profile the artisans, do interviews to bring out the inside stories from a maker’s perspective. At Artisan Social we intend to preserve the tangible and intangible cultural properties associated with the crafts – through spreading knowledge and creating awareness, appreciation and collaborations.

Bangladesh is one of the very few places in the world where communities still pursue their occupation as their forefathers once did. Yet, to continue and refine these rich traditions, they need to gain more attention and interaction with the broader interested public. Through Artisan Social the potential of handmade crafts can be further explored and better implemented.

Farzana Yusuf