The Raghurajpur International Art/Culture Exchange (RIA/CE) is an opportunity for contemporary, conceptual, and craft artists to exchange ideas and skills with the traditional craftspeople of Orissa, India.
During the 5-week exchange, artists from around the world will have the opportunity to study with master craftsmen and learn traditional skills such as Palm leaf carving, Stone and Wood carving, Pata Chitra and Tassar painting, Dhokra (metal casting), Coir (coconut straw) toy making, Paper Maché Mask making, Ganjapa playing card making, and Cow Dung toy making. Performing artists as well can revel in classical dance forms such as as Gotipua, odishi, and folk forms like Naga, Durga, horse (chaiti ghoda) dancing, Fire dancing (paika akhada) is also covered.
This vast knowledge and these traditional skills can be incorporated into an individual’s practice producing contemporary artwork that addresses concerns with deconstructed forms of traditional craft. It is transformative. In exchange, the international artists will share their ideas about art with the villagers, who can also benefit from this exchange and have it inform their traditional art.