Republic of Mauritius- Madhubani Painting as part of capacity building for SMEs launched

The Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah, who was present on that occasion, lauded the talents of the artists present and encouraged them in their endeavours. He urged them to get the necessary training to further develop and enhance their artistic aptitudes.

Mr Bholah expressed satisfaction as regards the progress being displayed by trainees and the artworks produced by them after only four days of training. He underlined that proper training, skills and talent development are key elements in revitalising the Handicraft sector and maintaining its competitiveness.

Speaking about capacity building, the Minister pointed out that the training forms part of the various courses being offered to SMEs with the objective of familiarising them with modern trends which ultimately will lead to improvement of product design. The training course, he added, also aims at equipping trainers in the SME sector with the necessary tools to improve their skills and promote the SME sector across Mauritius. This in turn will enhance local competences in the Handicraft sector and set up new innovative standards and boost unique selling propositions, he pointed out.

Furthermore, Minister Bholah highlighted that the training, scheduled from 18^th March 2019 to 5^th April 2019, is being delivered to trainers, namely artists and entrepreneurs, by a foreign expert, Mr Kumar Mishra, recognised by the Government of India as a Mastercraft Expert in the field of Arts and Crafts.

The Madhubani Painting

This art of painting, one of the many famous Indian art forms practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar and Nepal, uses colours that are usually derived from plants and other natural sources. Pigments like lampblack and ochre are used to create black and brown colours respectively. Characterised by complex geometrical patterns, these paintings are known for representing ritual contents for particular occasions, including festivals and religious rituals.

Madhubani Paintings derive its exclusiveness and uniqueness from the fact that it is created without the use of sketches; they are made instinctively by the artists who, instead of using contemporary brushes, make use of twigs, matchsticks and even fingers to create them.