Maati Centre, a community-based art shop that has started an art movement in North East

  The soul of a city lies in the free spaces that are available for artist to collaborate. Maati provides that space in Guwahati. Their store will not be able to engage more than 20-25 people at one time, but that is not stopping them. There is a clean basement that is adjacent to the store that Maati makes available to young artists, without any agenda. A young artist could any day walk in and request for a weekend performance slot and that will most times be made available. They host small scale events of poetry, dance, music, painting, theatre performances and also regular workshops on all sorts of art related endeavours.   

  The Maati Centre is an year old full-fledged art shop, trying to create a unique space. 

Rishi Raj Sarma and Pabitra Lama used to travel to remote areas and visit many local organizations in Assam for their love of collecting interesting artefacts. Friends and acquaintances who came across their intriguing collection inquired if they could get some of those items. In their subsequent travel, Rishi and Pabitra bought more than a few pieces of what they liked. People started showing up at their home and buying what they had to offer. It was a homely, humble beginning, and back then they named their initiative, ‘Colours of India’.

  People suggested that they should start an online shop for local artefacts from the region. The idea of online never appealed much to them; they loved the idea of having a physical space to reach out in more ways than merely selling few items that would decorate one’s home. E-trade is for big business but when one wants to share an experience and touch lives, one asks people to visit, see, feel, ask, know, and take some time out from their busy lives. There is nothing in the region except the regular Government Artefacts and craft shops which sell dusty jaapi-the conical Assamese hat, and some bamboo-cane products. 

  There is an urgent need for art spaces to be opened to masses. Guwahati is boiling with talent and, experimentation in arts, and their exposure should follow course. Maati Centre is a space that reckons with this understanding and importance of art as a significant entity, has come to carry on the endeavours to make art flourish, and find its platform. To develop a community of artists and audiences who are in it for their passion. The broader objective is to build a firm base focused on art, culture, education and rural entrepreneurship. 

  The Maati Centre believes that access to knowledge through mapping and documentation is the key to preserve the intangible heritage of crafts, textiles, folk and tribal arts and the bearers of the oral- knowledge systems. The initiative wants to fill in the gaps that hinder the progress of artists in the region. It works towards promoting artistic and cultural consciousness by engaging with various talents from within the region as well from outside it. 

  Maati now is a Glocal Art Hub. They store a range of brilliant products ranging from fragrances candles produced by the Tihar Jail inmates to earthy Aerie silk stoles.  Innovation is the only way to create an impact. The Maati now has a two pronged approach, the development of the store, and community engagement through arts. The store collaborates with many young artists from across India and showcases their accessories and apparel. They have hand-loom materials directly sourced from adivasi collectives. They have some intriguing collection of poetry books on sale. If you are quirky enough you could also pick up masks from Majuli at the Maati.  

'We travel across the country trying to find unusual artifacts, collaborate with rural entrepreneurs, and bring them to Maati focusing on building a symbiotic relation with the artisans. We don't play the profit making middlemen.', says Rishi.     

The Maati also runs an extensive community development campaign which they started with the phenomenally talented painter Neelim Mahanta by starting to paint walls across the city with artistic designs.  To begin with they have beautified one of the wall at Cotton University remarkably as a part of their The Community Art Movement campaign. There has been so looking back since. The Centre activities are carried by the generous, voluntary support of artists, community groups, coordinators, and facilitators who put in a lot of effort to restore the art and heritage of Guwahati.
One of the key focuses of the Community Art movement by Maati has been happening in Majuli where the project is in its initial phase. Majuli is one of the world’s largest river islands that needs resources to strengthen and build art, education and health systems in order to protect its rich culture and heritage.  Maati, with the support of local stakeholders is attempting to create an art village at Borun Chitadar Chuk, set up a children’s library, encourage local performing arts, and alternate tourism.   

The Maati as a performing art house in vibrant. Some of the brilliant events it has hosted in the past are The Basement Poetry Fest, festival series celebrating arts and people, storytelling by Darwesh and Wari, workshops on dance and poetry, and exhibitions on photography and illustrations. If you happen to visit Guwahati do not forget to visit The Maati Centre.