Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Even in the land of war, art lives on and, from there, art finds its way to faraway Indore with two men bringing a happy message. A Syrian interior designer, Issam Dady, with his friend, Movses Ayarian, is visiting Indore with the aim of keeping auspicious rosewood inlay work alive.
Dady is a Syrian, who is currently living through the on-going war in his country. Ayarian is half-Syrian and half-Armenian.
In an exclusive interview with us, the head of the movement, Dady, spoke about the current situation in Syria, the struggles of its citizens, inlay wood art and Indore’s market.
Syria: An on-going war; Visa troubles
§ ‘One of the biggest and longest hits as a consequence to war is economy, of course, after loss of lives,’ Dady says. He adds that the war goes on in Syria and even the survivors are often struggling to feed themselves, with no business opportunities
§ ‘Many people left the country as refugees. So, now, most countries are hesitant about issuing visas to Syrians fearing they won’t return to their country,’ Dady said. ‘This adds more pressure to the residents and stops them from even travelling for business’
A family tradition: Inlay woodwork
§ The ancient craft of inlay, or intarsia, evolved in Europe and its nearby areas, especially Syria. Dady’s family was among the first ones to work on this form of art
§ ‘From my great grandfather and beyond, this art was taught to children in the family and used as a family tradition and business,’ Dady says
§ He explains that inlay art is a form of woodwork, in which a solid body of one material is cut out to receive sections of another to form the surface pattern
From diamonds to sea-shells... a dying art
§ ‘In the olden days, diamonds were inserted into inlay woodwork and it was used by royal families in their bedrooms. But now, it’s not affordable for anyone,’ Dady says. However, to add the necessary glam to the work, they add sea-shells now
§ ‘Sea shells add that little white and shine to the work helping it stand out, which is affordable by most people,’ Dady says. He adds that rosewood is used for making this art
§ ‘Rosewood is a popular and much-sought-after tone wood for acoustic guitar fret boards, and Indian rosewood is among the best in the world, so India can save this art,’ Dady says
§ He adds that, although this is an important art, it’s a dying art form now. ‘The art requires a lot of work and not many people can afford it, so it’s slowly dying out,’ Dady says.
§ In India, inlay woodwork is kept alive by a small group of artisans in Mysuru, but the number is falling every day.
Syrian interior designer Issam Dady with his friend, Movses Ayarian |
