Kumbham: Reviving vanishing crafts

Kumbham is "the story of an artisan village recapturing the craft they had almost lost, and redefining it for the contemporary world". Set up in 1993 by KB Jinan in Aruvacode, near Nilambur of Malappuram district of Kerala, Kumbham aimed to revive the craft of the potter community of this region which was almost extinct due to its inability to survive competitively in the modern market.

KB Jinan, a designer, began his association with the artisans of Kumbham during 1992. He helped revive and ensure the sustainability of the craft by providing help in redesigning products for contemporary needs and developing the tools required to make them. It was a joint exploration for him and the artisans. Today, there are around 80 potters affiliated with Kumbham. Their joint explorations for the revival and sustainability of the potter craft helped the artisans realise their latent creativity and skills and enabled them to create their tools.

Kumbham now has a product range of over 500 designs which include household and kitchen items, office stationery, sculptures, garden and landscaping products, and architectural and interior décor accessories like tiles and murals. Now the aesthetically produced Kumbham murals and other products grace ecotourism resorts and corporate houses and are known for their unique character arising from a linking of contemporary requirements and traditional craftsmanship.