A Study on Craft Practice and Creativity Among Mysore Rosewood Inlay Artisans of India

Abstract

In craft practice, artisans display creativity through design, material and aesthetic adaptation, during the pandemic. There are limited studies on craft practice and creativity aspects of Mysore Rosewood Inlay craft of India. The objective of this research is to study the same among Mysore Rosewood Inlay artisans. Research methodology for the study is ethnographic research and creativity studies was conducted using the Test of Creative Thinking- Drawing Production and Four C of Creativity. The ethnographic study of the craft showed that traditional designs of products revolve around flora, fauna and Indian mythology whereas, the contemporary designs are based on diverse cultural aspects with precision. During pandemic, changes in craft practices were observed between older and younger artisans. Due to traditional grounding, artisans scored high in predesigned patterns compared to ones on free thought, whereas current time demands improvement in free thought based design skills.