Almost every Indian household has trunks stowed under beds or stashed away in the attic or dumped in a garage. In a basic, boring shade of grey, these (mostly) Army-issue foot lockers are functional and far outlive their original purpose, eventually winding up in an out-of-sight corner of the home.
Now, thanks to a makeover by A Hundred Hands, a non-profit trust in Bengaluru, these trunks are now enjoying a second lease of life in the limelight as centrepieces in many a home.
According to Mala Dhawan, co-founder of the Trust with her sister Sonia Dhawan, they had been mulling over the idea for a while now since they hail from an Army background.
“We were also looking at ways we could help traditional artisans visualise options to monetise their art. We felt this was an idea that would help them think outside the box,” says Mala.
Besides this, Mala says, “We were looking at ways to give traditional art a functional purpose besides being purely aesthetic where they hang on a wall or take up space on a shelf.”
The project gained momentum a few months ago when A Hundred Hands transformed a wall at the Central Army Command in Lucknow with Gond art. “While there, we asked a few people if they’d like to get their trunks re-done and the response was tremendous,” says Mala.
“In Army homes these trunks were not only used for transport but also served varied purposes. Four of them put together would make do for a bed, while two could make a diwan. It all depended on your creativity. There’s a lot of emotional attachment to these trunks,” she says.
“We widened the scope of this initiative to include wooden trunks as well as new chests and hope to extend this idea to other art forms as well.“
For this project, Gond artists were brought down from their hometown in Madhya Pradesh. Gond is the tribal art practised by members of the Gond community; they are also found in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Mala says when they took on the project, they had no idea it would involve a great deal of work. “There’s a whole process to the refurbishing of these trunks. They have to be sanded, smoothened, tinkered with in case of dents and have multiple coats of paint applied; it takes about three to four weeks to complete one piece.”
The trunks are completely customised with clients able to choose the base colour as well as the design. Gond art utilises bright tones and nature motifs and stories involving birds, animals and flowers. However, elephants were the most popular choice, says Mala.
Apart from boosting the concept of upcycling and helping craftsmen with a different perspective of their skills, Mala says the initiative revived beautiful memories. “These trunks have stored wedding trousseaus and silverware as well as monthly provisions and home linen,” she says, adding a client said it was “a piece of their childhood.”
“While it preserves a piece of your past, it gives traditional artists a chance to earn as much as contemporary ones. We have expanded our repertoire to include mirror frames in Gond and folk art too.”
Priced upwards of ₹12,500, the Trust requires a minimum of 15-20 orders for the project to be viable in each city. For more details mail a100hands@gmail.com or whatsapp 98450 08482.
