Iconic arts-and-craft store reopens at new location

After a hiatus of 10 months, 50-year old Contemporary Arts and Crafts reopened on May 14, at a new, 3,000-sq-ft space in Fort.

After a hiatus of 10 months, 50-year old Contemporary Arts and Crafts reopened on May 14, at a new, 3,000-sq-ft space in Fort.

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The reputable store, which works with Indian craftsmen to promotes Indian crafts, shut temporarily in August 2011, after the owner asked for the premises back. The new space, almost twice the size of the old store, offers traditional craft works as well as furniture and products by independent design labels from across the country. What hasn’t changed is the mission to help the country’s craftsmen. “Most of the designers who supply to our store hire local craftsmen to create their products,” says CEO Rishad Patell. Many products are also sourced directly from the craftsmen, allowing them a larger share of the profits.

Among the highlights of the revamped store are brass tiffin boxes of various sizes, made by craftsmen from Rajasthan, hand-embroidered wall hangings from Kashmir, papier mache birds from Orissa and traditional jalebi fryers from Rajasthan, promoted as wall hangings at the store.